About the Author
About the Book
Author’s Note
Table of Contents
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This book is dedicated to
The Roll of Honour
Between the commencement of operations in October 2001 to 1 July 2012, a total of 422 British forces personnel have died in Afghanistan.
WO2 Leonard Perran Thomas (44)
Gdsm Craig Andrew Roderick (22)
Gdsm Apete Saunikalou Ratumaiyale Tuisovurua (28)
Cpl Alex Guy (37)
LCpl James Ashworth (23)
Pte Gregg Thomas Stone (20)
Cpl Michael John Thacker (27)
Capt Stephen James Healey (29)
Cpl Brent John McCarthy (25)
LCpl Lee Thomas Davies (27)
Cpl Andrew Steven Roberts (32)
Pte Ratu Manasa Silibaravi (32)
Gdsm Michael Roland (22)
Spr Connor Ray (21)
Cpl Jack Leslie Stanley (26)
Sgt Luke Taylor (33)
LCpl Michael Foley (25)
Capt Rupert William Michael Bowers (24)
Sgt Nigel Coupe (33)
Cpl Jake Hartley (20)
Pte Anthony Frampton (20)
Pte Christopher Kershaw (19)
Pte Daniel Wade (20)
Pte Daniel Wilford (21)
SAC Ryan Tomlin (21)
LCpl Gajbahadur Gurung (26)
Sig Ian Gerard Sartorius-Jones (21)
Rfn Sachin Limbu (23)
Pte John King (19)
Sqn Ldr Anthony Downing (34)
Capt Tom Jennings (29)
Spr Elijah Bond (24)
Rfn Sheldon Lee Jordan Steel (20)
Pte Thomas Christopher Lake (29)
Lt David Boyce (25)
LCpl Richard Scanlon (31)
LCpl Peter Eustace (25)
Pte Matthew Thornton (28)
Pte Matthew James Sean Haseldin (21)
Rfn Vijay Rai (21)
Mne David Fairbrother (24)
LCpl Jonathan James McKinlay (33)
Sgt Barry John Weston (40)
Lt Daniel John Clack (24)
Mne James Robert Wright (22)
Cpl Mark Anthony Palin (32)
LCpl Paul Watkins (24)
Hldr Scott McLaren (20)
Pte Gareth Leslie William Bellingham (22)
Cpl Lloyd Newell Cfn Andrew Found (27)
Rfn Martin Jon Lamb (27)
LCpl Martin Joseph Gill (22)
Cpl Michael John Pike (26)
Lt Oliver Richard Augustin (23)
Mne Samuel Giles William Alexander MC (28)
CSjt Kevin Charles Fortuna (36)
Mne Nigel Dean Mead (19)
Capt Lisa Jade Head (29)
CSgt Alan Cameron (42)
Maj Matthew James Collins (38)
LSgt Mark Terence Burgan (28)
Pte Daniel Steven Prior (27)
LCpl Stephen McKee (27)
LCpl Liam Richard Tasker (26)
Pte Robert Wood (28)
Pte Dean Hutchinson (23)
LCpl Kyle Cleet Marshall (23)
Pte Lewis Hendry (20)
Pte Conrad Lewis (22)
WO2 (CSM) Colin Beckett (36)
Rgr David Dalzell (20)
Pte Martin Simon George Bell (24)
Pte Joseva Saqanagonedau Vatubua (24)
WO2 Charles Henry Wood (34)
Cpl Steven Thomas Dunn (27)
Pte John Howard (23)
Gdsm Christopher Davies (22)
Rgr Aaron McCormick (22)
SAC Scott ‘Scotty’ Hughes (20)
Spr William Bernard Blanchard (39)
Cpl David Barnsdale (24)
Sgt Peter Anthony Rayner (34)
Rfn Suraj Gurung (22)
Cpl Matthew Thomas (24)
Sgt Andrew James Jones (35)
Tpr Andrew Martin Howarth (20)
Kgsm Darren Deady (22)
Capt Andrew Griffiths (25)
LCpl Joseph McFarlane Pool (26)
LCpl Jordan Dean Bancroft (25)
Spr Ishwor Gurung (21)
Spr Darren Foster (20)
Rfn Remand Kulung (27)
Lt John Charles Sanderson (29)
Mne Adam Brown (26)
LSgt Dale Alanzo McCallum (31)
Spr Mark Antony Smith (26)
Cpl Matthew James Stenton (23)
LCpl Stephen Daniel Monkhouse (28)
SSgt Brett George Linley (29)
Sgt David Thomas Monkhouse (35)
SAC Kinikki “Griff” Griffiths (20)
Mne Jonathan David Thomas Crookes (26)
Mne Matthew Harrison (23)
Maj James Joshua Bowman (34)
Lt Neal Turkington (26)
Cpl Arjun Purja Pun (33)
Mne David Charles Hart (23)
Bdr Samuel Joseph Robinson (31)
Pte Thomas Sephton (20)
Tpr James Anthony Leverett (20)
Cpl Seth Stephens (42)
Cpl Jamie Kirkpatrick (32)
Bdr Stephen Raymond Gilbert (36)
CSgt Martyn Horton (34)
LCpl David Ramsden (26)
Pte Douglas Halliday (20)
Pte Alex Isaac (20)
Sgt Steven William Darbyshire (35)
LCpl Michael Taylor (30)
Mne Paul Warren (23)
Mne Richard Hollington (23)
Tpr Ashley Smith (21)
Cpl Taniela Tolevu Rogoiruwai (32)
Kgsm Ponipate Tagitaginimoce (29)
Mne Steven James Birdsall (20)
LCpl Andrew Breeze (31)
Pte Jonathan Monk (25)
LBdr Mark Chandler (32)
Cpl Terry Webster (24)
LCpl Alan Cochran (23)
Mne Anthony Dean Hotine (21)
Mne Scott Gregory Taylor (20)
Cpl Stephen Curley (26)
Gnr Zak Cusack (20)
Cpl Stephen Walker (42)
Cpl Christopher Lewis Harrison (26)
Spr Daryn Roy (28)
LCpl Barry Buxton (27)
Cpl Harvey Holmes (22)
Fus Jonathan Burgess (20)
Rfn Mark Turner (21)
Gdsm Michael Sweeney (19)
Rfn Daniel Holkham (19)
LCoH Jonathan Woodgate (26)
Sjt Steven Campbell (30)
LCpl Scott Hardy (26)
Pte James Grigg (20)
Capt Martin Driver (31)
Cpl Stephen Thompson (31)
LCpl Tom Keogh (24)
Rfn Liam Maughan (18)
Rfn Jonathon Allott (19)
Cpl Richard Green (23)
Rfn Carlo Apolis (28)
Sgt Paul Fox (34)
Rfn Martin Kinggett (19)
SAC Luke Southgate (20)
LSgt David ‘Davey’ Walker (36)
Lt Douglas Dalzell (27)
Spr Guy Mellors (20)
Kgsm Sean Dawson (19)
Rfn Mark Marshall (29)
LSgt Dave Greenhalgh (25)
LCpl Darren Hicks (29)
WO2 David Markland (36)
Cpl John Moore (22)
Pte Sean McDonald (26)
Cpl Liam Riley (21)
LCpl Graham Shaw (27)
LCpl Daniel Cooper (22)
Rfn Peter Aldridge (19)
Cpl Lee Brownson (30)
Rfn Luke Farmer (19)
Capt Daniel Read (31)
Pte Robert Hayes (19)
Spr David Watson (23)
Rfn Aidan Howell (19)
LCpl Tommy Brown (25)
LCpl Christopher Roney (23)
LCpl Michael David Pritchard (22)
Cpl Simon Hornby (29)
LCpl David Les
lie Kirkness (24)
Rfn James Stephen Brown (18)
LCpl Adam Drane (23)
ASgt John Paxton Amer (30)
Sgt Robert David Loughran-Dickson (33)
Cpl Loren Owen Christopher Marlton-Thomas (28)
Rfn Andrew Ian Fentiman (23)
Rfn Samuel John Bassett (20)
Rfn Philip Allen (20)
Sjt Phillip Scott (30)
WO1 Darren Chant (40)
Sgt Matthew Telford (37)
Gdsm James Major (18)
Cpl Steven Boote (22)
Cpl Nicholas Webster-Smith (24)
SSgt Olaf Sean George Schmid (30)
Cpl Thomas ‘Tam’ Mason (27)
Cpl James Oakland (26)
LCpl James Hill (23)
Gdsm Jamie Janes (20)
ACpl Marcin Wojtak (24)
Pte James Prosser (21)
ASgt Michael Lockett MC (29)
ASjt Stuart McGrath (28)
Tpr Brett Hall (21)
Kgsm Jason Dunn-Bridgeman (20)
Cpl John Harrison (29)
Pte Gavin Elliott (19)
LCpl Richard Brandon (24)
Sgt Stuart ‘Gus’ Millar (40)
Pte Kevin Elliott (24)
Sgt Lee Andrew Houltram Fus Shaun Bush (24)
Sjt Paul McAleese (29)
Pte Johnathon Young (18)
LCpl James Fullarton (24)
Fus Simon Annis (22)
Fus Louis Carter (18)
Sgt Simon Valentine (29)
Pte Richard Hunt (21)
Capt Mark Hale (42)
LBdr Matthew Hatton (23)
Rfn Daniel Wild (19)
Pte Jason George Williams (23)
Cpl Kevin Mulligan (26)
LCpl Dale Thomas Hopkins (23)
Pte Kyle Adams (21)
Cfn Anthony Lombardi (21)
Tpr Phillip Lawrence (22)
WO2 Sean Upton (35)
Bdr Craig Hopson (24)
Gdsm Christopher King (20)
Capt Daniel Shepherd (28)
Cpl Joseph Etchells (22)
Rfn Aminiasi Toge (26)
Cpl Jonathan Horne (28)
Rfn William Aldridge (18)
Rfn James Backhouse (18)
Rfn Joe Murphy (18)
Rfn Daniel Simpson (20)
Cpl Lee Scott (26)
Pte John Brackpool (27)
Rfn Daniel Hume (22)
Tpr Christopher Whiteside (20)
Capt Ben Babington-Browne (27)
LCpl Dane Elson (22)
LCpl David Dennis (29)
Pte Robert Laws (18)
Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe MBE (39)
Tpr Joshua Hammond (18)
Maj Sean Birchall (33)
Lt Paul Mervis (27)
Pte Robert McLaren (20)
Rfn Cyrus Thatcher (19)
LCpl Nigel Moffett (28)
Cpl Stephen Bolger (30)
LCpl Kieron Hill (20)
LCpl Robert Martin Richards (24)
Spr Jordan Rossi (22)
Fus Petero “Pat” Suesue (28)
Mne Jason Mackie (21)
Lt Mark Evison (26)
Sgt Ben Ross (34)
Cpl Kumar Pun (31)
Rfn Adrian Sheldon (25)
Cpl Sean Binnie (22)
LSgt Tobie Fasfous (29)
Cpl Dean Thomas John (25)
Cpl Graeme Stiff (24)
LCpl Christopher Harkett (22)
Mne Michael ‘Mick’ Laski (21)
Cpl Tom Gaden (24)
LCpl Paul Upton (31)
Rfn Jamie Gunn (21)
LCpl Stephen ‘Schnoz’ Kingscott (22)
Mne Darren ‘Daz’ Smith (27)
Cpl Daniel ‘Danny’ Nield (31)
ACpl Richard ‘Robbo’ Robinson (21)
Capt Tom Sawyer (26)
Cpl Danny Winter (28)
Mne Travis Mackin (22)
Sjt Chris Reed (25)
Cpl Liam Elms (26)
LCpl Benjamin Whatley (20)
Cpl Robert Deering (33)
Rfn Stuart Nash (21)
Lt Aaron Lewis (26)
LCpl Steven ‘Jamie’ Fellows (28)
Mne Damian Davies (27)
Sgt John Manuel (38)
Cpl Marc Birch (26)
Mne Tony Evans (20)
Mne Georgie Sparks (19)
Mne Alexander Lucas (24)
CSgt Krishnabahadur Dura (36)
Mne Neil David Dunstan (32)
Mne Robert Joseph McKibben (32)
Rfn Yubraj Rai (28)
Tpr James Munday (21)
LCpl Nicky Mason (26)
Pte Jason Lee Rawstron (23)
WO2 Gary ‘Gaz’ O’Donnell GM (40)
Rgr Justin James Cupples (29)
Cpl Barry Dempsey (29)
Sig Wayne Bland (21)
Pte Peter Joe Cowton (25)
Sgt Jonathan Mathews (35)
LCpl Kenneth Michael Rowe (24)
Cpl Jason Stuart Barnes (25)
LCpl James Johnson (31)
WO2 Dan Shirley (32)
WO2 Michael Norman Williams (40)
Pte Joe John Whittaker (20)
Cpl Sarah Bryant (26)
Cpl Sean Robert Reeve (28)
LCpl Richard Larkin (39)
Paul Stout (31)
LCpl James Bateman (29)
Pte Jeff Doherty (20)
Pte Nathan Cuthbertson (19)
Pte Daniel Gamble (22)
Pte Charles David Murray (19)
Mne Dale Gostick (22)
James Thompson (27)
Tpr Ratu Sakeasi Babakobau (29)
Tpr Robert Pearson (22)
SAC Graham Livingstone (23)
SAC Gary Thompson (51)
Lt John Thornton (22)
Mne David Marsh (23)
Cpl Damian Mulvihill (32)
Cpl Damian Stephen Lawrence (25)
Cpl Darryl Gardiner (25)
Sgt Lee Johnson (33)
Tpr Jack Sadler (21)
Capt John McDermid (43)
LCpl Jake Alderton (22)
Maj Alexis Roberts (32)
CSgt Phillip Newman (36)
Pte Brian Tunnicliffe (33)
Cpl Ivano Violino (29)
Sgt Craig Brelsford (25)
Pte Johan Botha (25)
Pte Damian Wright (23)
Pte Ben Ford (18)
SAC Christopher Bridge (20)
Pte Aaron James McClure (19)
Pte Robert Graham Foster (19)
Pte John Thrumble (21)
Capt David Hicks (26)
Pte Tony Rawson (27)
LCpl Michael Jones (26)
Sgt Barry Keen (34)
Gdsm David Atherton (25)
LCpl Alex Hawkins (22)
Gdsm Daryl Hickey (27)
Sgt Dave Wilkinson (33)
Capt Sean Dolan (40)
Dmr Thomas Wright (21)
Gdsm Neil ‘Tony’ Downes (20)
LCpl Paul “Sandy” Sandford (23)
Cpl Mike Gilyeat (28)
Cpl Darren Bonner (31)
Gdsm Daniel Probyn (22)
LCpl George Russell Davey (23)
Gdsm Simon Davison (22)
Pte Chris Gray (19)
WO2 Michael ‘Mick’ Smith (39)
Mne Benjamin Reddy (22)
LBdr Ross Clark (25)
LBdr Liam McLaughlin (21)
Mne Scott Summers (23)
Mne Jonathan Holland (23)
LCpl Mathew Ford (30)
Mne Thomas Curry (21)
LBdr James Dwyer (22)
Mne Richard J Watson (23)
Mne Jonathan Wigley (21)
Mne Gary Wright (22)
LCpl Paul Muirhead (29)
LCpl Luke McCulloch (21)
Cpl Mark William Wright (27)
Pte Craig O’Donnell (24)
Flt Lt Steven Johnson (38)
Flt Lt Leigh Anthony Mitchelmore (28)
/> Flt Lt Gareth Rodney Nicholas (40)
Flt Lt Allan James Squires (39)
Flt Lt Steven Swarbrick (28)
Flt Sgt Gary Wayne Andrews (48)
Flt Sgt Stephen Beattie (42)
Flt Sgt Gerard Martin Bell (48)
Flt Sgt Adrian Davies (49)
Sgt Benjamin James Knight (25)
Sgt John Joseph Langton (29)
Sgt Gary Paul Quilliam (42)
Cpl Oliver Simon Dicketts (27)
Mne Joseph David Windall (22)
Rgr Anare Draiva (27)
LCpl Jonathan Peter Hetherington (22)
Cpl Bryan James Budd (29)
LCpl Sean Tansey (26)
Pte Leigh Reeves (25)
Pte Andrew Barrie Cutts (19)
Capt Alex Eida (29)
2nd Lt Ralph Johnson (24)
LCpl Ross Nicholls (27)
Pte Damien Jackson (19)
Cpl Peter Thorpe (27)
LCpl Jabron Hashmi (24)
Capt David Patton (38)
Sgt Paul Bartlett (35)
Capt Jim Philippson (29)
LCpl Peter Edward Craddock (31)
Cpl Mark Cridge (25)
LCpl Steven Sherwood (23)
Pte Jonathan Kitulagoda (23)
Sgt Robert Busuttil (30)
Cpl John Gregory (30)
Pte Darren John George (23)
For every name above and those that will lay down their lives before this conflict is concluded;
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.
One
THE MAJOR YANKED first at one cuff and then the other, ensuring three-eighths of an inch was visible beneath his tunic sleeves. With his thumb and forefinger he circled his lips, finishing with a small cough, designed to clear the throat. He nodded in the direction of the door, indicating to the accompanying sergeant that he could proceed. He was ready.
‘Coming!’ Poppy cast the sing-song word over her shoulder in the direction of the hallway, once again making a mental note to fix the front door bell as the internal mechanism grated against the loose, metal cover. The intensely irritating sound had become part of the rhythm of the flat. She co-habited with an orchestra of architectural ailments, the stars of which were the creaking hinge of the bedroom door, the dripping bathroom tap and the whirring extractor fan that now extracted very little.
Poppy smiled and looped her hair behind her ears. It was probably Jenna, who would often nip over during her lunch break. Theirs was a comfortable camaraderie, arrived at after many years of friendship; no need to wash up cups, hide laundry or even get dressed, they interacted without inhibition or pretence. Poppy prepped the bread and counted the fish fingers under the grill, working out how to make two sandwiches instead of one, an easy calculation. She felt a swell of happiness.
The front door bell droned again, ‘All right! All right!’ Poppy licked stray blobs of tomato ketchup from the pads of her thumbs and laughed at the impatient digit that jabbed once more at the plastic circle on the outside wall.
Poppy Day Page 1