The families of five “dedicated” British servicemen killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan have paid tributes to their loved ones as they were named by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Captain Thomas Clarke, Warrant Officer Spencer Faulkner and Corporal James Walters, all of the Army Air Corps (AAC) were serving as the Lynx aircraft’s three-man team when they died.
They lost their lives with Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan of the Royal Air Force and Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas of the Intelligence Corps, believed to have been passengers on the flight.
Their helicopter went down in Kandahar province, 30 miles from the border with Pakistan, on Saturday.
The Ministry of Defence denied claims by the Taliban that insurgents shot the helicopter down, with initial investigations indicating a “tragic accident” rather than enemy action.
Group Captain Richard Maddison, Station Commander at RAF Odiham, where all of five men except L/Cpl Thomas were based, said: “As with all losses of personnel in Afghanistan, we mourn the loss of our most capable and dedicated personnel, who served without complaint and in full understanding of the risks associated with their roles.
“They were fine ambassadors for their unit and for defence as a whole, and we shall not forget them.”
Capt Clarke, 30, from Cowbridge, south Wales, was a pilot and “rising star” in the AAC who was “full of life and immensely committed to his soldiers and friends”.
His family said: “Tom brought so much happiness and love to everyone he knew with his sparkling blue eyes and cheeky smile. He had an absolute passion for life and was the best part of us; we are all poorer today without him.”
Flight Lieutenant Chauhan, 29, from Birmingham, was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. Known as Rak to his friends, he was described as “bright, articulate, charismatic and loyal”.
Warrant Officer Faulkner, 38, was an “experienced aviator, loving husband and hugely dedicated father to two children”.
“Spen was a loving husband to Cally and devoted father to Natasha and Jack, and will be greatly missed,” the pilot’s family said.
“A huge gap has been left in our hearts forever. He has been tragically taken away whilst serving his country, a job he loved. God rest his soul.”
Corporal Walters, 36, known as Bungle, was a “highly respected” junior non-commissioned officer and “consummate professional”.
His family said: “We cannot begin to comprehend the tragic loss of a beautiful and loving husband, daddy, son, and brother. James has left a huge hole in all our hearts”.
Lance Corporal Thomas, 26, from Brecon in Powys, Mid Wales, was “young, enthusiastic and highly capable”. His family said: “Oliver was a truly amazing person, living his life to the full, while fulfilling some of his many dreams and adventures.”
An investigation by the Military Aviation Authority is under way to establish the cause of the crash, but the rest of the Lynx aircraft deployed in Afghanistan have not been grounded.
In September 2006 a Nimrod surveillance aircraft from RAF Kinloss exploded in mid-air near Kandahar, killing all 14 servicemen on board.