Afghanistan bomb kills British soldier at army firing range

A British soldier who died at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan was killed by a Taliban bomb planted near the entrance to the base’s firing range.

The attack, described by a senior officer as “an unprecedented breach of security”, killed Guardsman James Hill, of the Coldstream Guards. Ten other men were wounded.

Hill, 23, from Redhill, Surrey, joined the army in 2005 and was the only child of Brian and Clare Hill, who described him yesterday as “the finest son we could have possibly asked for”.

They added: “We are immensely proud of who he is and all that he has done. James was immensely caring and always there for us and everyone who needed him. Spending time with family and friends was what meant the most to him.”

His fiancée, Anastasia Newman, said: “James was the most wonderful, caring and loving man you could ever meet and touched the lives of every person he met.

“James is and always will be the love of my life and I feel so grateful to have had the time I had with him. He will live on forever in my heart and memories until we are together again.”

Hill was in a group of soldiers walking to the range, which is away from the main camp in Helmand province.

A soldier is believed to have stepped on the pressure plate of a Taliban bomb, detonating it. One source claimed that, amid the confusion, a second bomb planted close by had also gone off.

The initial military investigation is focusing on how insurgents had managed to bring explosives so close to the base.

Afghan civilians are checked thoroughly as they arrive for work at Camp Bastion but children are believed to gain access to the range, where they collect used brass cartridge cases that can be sold.

A week earlier, another serviceman, Senior Aircraftsman Marcin Wojta, 24, from Leicester, a member of the RAF Regiment, was killed by a Taliban bomb while patrolling in a vehicle outside Camp Bastion.

Of 120 British soldiers who have died in the past 12 months in southern Afghanistan, 100 were killed by Taliban bombs. Hill was the 221st British soldier to die since the allies went into Afghanistan in 2001.

Lieutenant Colonel Toby Gray, the commanding officer of 1st Battalion, the Coldstream Guards, said Hill, a mortar fire controller, was “a soldier with the most outstanding qualities. His drive to be the best was constant”.

Lance-Corporal Matthew Cutting, his best friend, said: “I will never forget all the great times I had with him, from the insane times sky-diving in France to having a beer with him and all the mortar boys. He was a big inspiration to us all and will be missed badly and will never be forgotten.”

Bob Ainsworth, the defence secretary, said: “My thoughts and condolences are with his family, his fiancée, colleagues and friends at this sad time.”

The Taliban gave a vastly exaggerated report of the attack claiming they had dug tunnels to blow up “a training centre of the American invaders” in Helmand.

A spokesman for the MoD said: “An investigation is ongoing and it would not be appropriate to comment further.”
Timesonline