Afghanistan hero's minefield death 'entirely avoidable'
UK coroner says series of avoidable errors led to death of George Cross-winning soldier in Afghanistan
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Friday, 17, Oct 2008 03:25
Those responsible for a litany of errors which led to the death of a George Cross-winning UK soldier in Afghanistan should "hang their heads in shame".
Coroner Andrew Walker, said on Friday that Corporal Mark Wright's death was entirely avoidable and would not have happened if it were not for a lack of communication, equipment and training.
Edinburgh-born Cpl Wright died in Kajaki, Helmand, in September 2006 when his sniper patrol entered an unmarked minefield that the army had not informed them of.
The 27-year-old, posthumously awarded the George Cross for helping his fellow troops escape with their lives before succumbing to his wounds, died when a mine was set off by the back-draft of the RAF Chinook sent to winch the soldiers out.
It took three hours for an allied helicopter to be dispatched to rescue the soldiers, who were forced to shoot into the air when radio batteries ran out.
Peace of mind
Cpl Wright's father Bobby, speaking outside Oxford coroner court, said he was proud to hear of the courage shown by his son in serving his country, which he said brought "peace of mind" to the family.
"We are satisfied that Mark did not cause his own death or contribute to it in any way," Mr Wright said.
The family solicitor Paul Harrington said there were lessons to be learned for the MoD over the incident, which saw several other soldiers lose limbs and sustain a range of serious injuries.
"There have clearly been a series of systemic failings on intelligence, training and resources," he said.
Commenting on the coroner's comments, Rear Admiral Tony Johnstone-Burt, the commander of joint helicopter command, said: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Corporal Mark Wright GC at this difficult time.
The heroic actions of Corporal Wright and those injured in this incident were motivated by a selfless desire to save their comrades."
R Adm Johnstone-Burt, responsible for the provision of battlefield helicopters and crews in Afghanistan and Iraq, said he was confident the current level of resources enabled troops to meet the tasks that they face.
"In the spirit of our shared efforts in Afghanistan, resources are pooled across the countries fighting there," he continued.
"In addition to UK Chinook, Apache, Sea King and Lynx helicopters, our forces can also access significant numbers of other types of helicopters provided by our allies.
"All UK helicopters deployed in Immediate Response Team roles are now fitted with winches as it is recognised that in certain situations they will be of use.
"However, we do not expect our forces to use helicopter winches to extract personnel from minefields because of the lethal risks involved. I would like to pay tribute though to the outstanding bravery of the US helicopter crew that assisted in the recovery of Cpl Wright and his injured comrades."
MoD in 'disarray'
The Liberal Democrats said the catalogue of errors recorded by the coroner were a "shattering blow" to the MoD's credibility.
Said defence spokesman Nick Harvey said: "Coroner Andrew Walker is absolutely right to describe these shortages of basic equipment and helicopter support as shameful.
"Lives are being lost because of the shortage of appropriate helicopter support in Afghanistan, yet the government's plans for more helicopters are in confusion and disarray."
Armed forces minister Bob Ainsworth reassured Cpl Wright's family that the government was "determined to learn all the lessons that we can".
"We have agreed to pay compensation to Corporal Wright's family and we will ensure this happens with as little distress to them as possible," Mr Ainsworth said.
"I pay tribute to the US helicopter crew that recovered Corporal Wright and the other UK soldiers; they showed extreme bravery in extreme conditions."