A war hero’s last wish was honoured with a special rugby match to mark the 10th anniversary of his death on the frontline in Afghanistan.
Soldier Liam Tasker was killed by the Taliban alongside his military working dog Theo in 2011.
His mum Jane Duffy travelled more than 370 miles to be guest of honour at the poignant event in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, near the Army’s training centre for military working dogs where Liam was once based. The emotional day raised more than £3,500 to help ex-forces personnel.
‘Good old session to remember me’
In his death letter to family, which was previously published by The Press and Journal with his mum’s consent, he asked friends and family to remember him in a special way.
Liam – who was just 26 when he died – was buried with Theo after the dog died of “a broken heart”, according to Jane, after witnessing his human partner being shot.
He wrote: “To mark my death, I would love for all my family and friends to get together and have a good old session to remember me.”
Gran Jane, 62, and a bagpiper lead out the teams from the Army’s Defence Animal Centre and the local Nomads team.
Rugby fan Liam played for both sides. Jane, from Tayport, Fife, was joined by her daughter Nicola and son Ian who all sported t-shirts saying BLT which stood for ‘Big Liam Tasker’.
As it was the 10th anniversary of Liam’s passing, he wanted to do something extra special to commemorate the day.”
Jane Duffy
She said: “Liam’s pal Paul Goosey presented me with a special rugby ball with Liam’s name on it before the match.
“It was a very moving touch. He ran from Leicester Tigers rugby club to Melton to raise money in Liam’s memory and carried the ball with him on his run.
“As it was the 10th anniversary of Liam’s passing, he wanted to do something extra special to commemorate the day.
“His run and the other fundraising efforts raised more than £3,500 for Rugby For Heroes, which works with the rugby community to raise funds and awareness for military personnel who are making the transition to civilian life.”
‘This game means a lot to us all’
Liam was killed in 2011. He was working in an area littered with boobytrap bombs, known as improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Liam and Theo, who together had uncovered a record 14 IEDs, were guiding a patrol through the deadly Shingazi area.
With Theo attached to a line at his waist, Liam led at the front of the group who had been on their way to a meeting with Afghan community leaders and US troops.
Soon after they headed out, Theo sniffed out a plastic bag with a black wire attached. They were then ambushed as the Taliban, who had been lying in wait, bombarded them with machine gun fire.
Liam was shot and died instantly. Later, Theo started to have fits and was taken by helicopter to Camp Bastion where he died following a seizure.
Crowds thronged the streets of Wootton Bassett when Liam and Theo’s bodies were flown back to the UK.
Jane added: “This game means a lot to us all. We can’t thank Liam’s army pal Roger Utley and all his friends for fulfilling Liam’s last wish by playing this memorial game.”
‘This is the reality of Afghanistan’
The Courier’s recent investigation Afghanistan: Scotland’s Forgotten War looked at the longest campaign waged by our soldiers.
We revealed that Jane feared the conflict in Afghanistan has become Scotland’s forgotten war – an overlooked campaign consigned to the history books as our remaining soldiers, along with US troops, finally left the devastated country.
At his graveside in Tayport, where Liam lies buried with Theo, she said: “This is the reality of Afghanistan. We can never forget that.”
She also spoke of the “death letter” Liam wrote to his family which most soldiers pen before they head into conflict in case the worst happens.
At the time, she said: “Part of me will always be in Afghanistan. It does help to sometimes look at the letter, it gives us a bit of solace.”
Liam was one of more than 450 British soldiers killed in the conflict in Afghanistan, one of the nation’s longest campaigns spanning 20 years.
Afghanistan: Scotland’s Forgotten War
Scotland’s Forgotten War is an in-depth investigation into one of the country’s longest running conflicts – the campaign in Afghanistan – and how it forever changed our local families and communities.
From Dundee, Angus and Fife to Aberdeen, Inverness and the Highlands, the combat thousands of miles away in Afghanistan has cast a long shadow over people’s lives in the last 20 years.
