Fallen RAF servicemen named after Afghanistan deaths
Tuesday, 15 Apr 2008 12:40
The UK death toll in Afghanistan is now 93
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The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has named the two RAF servicemen who were killed while on patrol in southern Afghanistan on Sunday.
Senior Aircraftman Graham Livingstone and Senior Aircraftman Gary Thompson, aged 23 and 52 respectively, died when an "explosive device" hit the vehicle they were travelling in.
The pair were 2km west of Kandahar airfield when the incident took place at around 18:48 local time (15:18 BST) on Sunday. Two others were injured in the attack.
Both servicemen received medical treatment at the scene before being rushed to Kandahar airfield's field hospital.
But, "despite the best efforts of the medical team", both subsequently died of their wounds.
SAC Livingstone had served in Iraq before moving on to operations in Afghanistan and was described by his mother, Rosemary O'Neil, as a "much loved father, brother and son" who died "doing a job he loved".
Meanwhile a statement from the family of SAC Thompson said he "touched the lives of everyone who knew him".
He leaves behind his wife Jacqui and five daughters, aged between 24 and 16.
Defence secretary Des Browne said he was "greatly saddened" by the "tragic loss".
He said: "My thoughts and prayers are with their family and friends at what must be the most difficult of times."
The deaths are the 92nd and 93rd among British fatalities in Afghanistan since coalition forces ousted the Taliban from government there in October 2001.
Lieutenant John Thornton and Marine David Marsh were the most recent deaths.
They died on March 30th when the vehicle they were travelling in was caught in an explosion in Helmand province, also in the south of the country.