The most senior British serviceman to be killed in action in Afghanistan was last night described as “a superb commanding officer” who was “destined for greatness”.
Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, 39, commanding officer, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, died with 18-year-old Trooper Joshua Hammond, of 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, five miles north of Lashkar Gah in Helmand on Wednesday.
General Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff, said Lt Col Thorneloe was at the “leading edge of his generation”.
An improvised explosive device was detonated under his Viking armoured vehicle, killing both him and Trooper Hammond.
Lt Col Thorneloe’s wife Sally said he was her “very best friend” and added: “Our daughters Hannah and Sophie will have to grow up without their beloved daddy, although I will see a part of him in them every day.
“I could not have asked for a more caring, adoring and loving husband and father.”
Describing her husband as “a born soldier” and “an inspiration”, she said: “I know he led from the front and would not have had it any other way. He cared deeply about his men as he did about so many.”
The Prince of Wales, who is colonel of the Welsh Guards, was said to be “deeply saddened” by his death and will write privately both to his family and to his regiment. It is understood Charles knew Lt Col Thorneloe, of Kirtlington, near Oxford, well. Brigadier Tim Radford, of Taskforce Helmand, said he was “quite simply, a superb commanding officer” who was “destined for greatness”. Lt Col Thorneloe was in charge of more than 1,000 soldiers. Speaking in February, a month before the 1st Battalion was deployed to Helmand, he said: “We are pretty well prepared but it will be a challenging tour and the biggest challenge will be to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people.”
Trooper Hammond, of Plymouth, had been in the regiment for a little over a year after enlisting for training at the age of 16 and volunteered to change squadron in order to deploy to Afghanistan.