Midlands mourns two soldiers killed in Afghanistan

Jul 13 2009 by Edward Chadwick, Birmingham Mail

Rifleman Joseph Murphy

The number of British personnel to die in Afghanistan has now overtaken the conflict in Iraq.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Thomson, commanding officer of the battle group, said it had been a “grim day” but he added: “They lived and fought alongside us and tonight our lives are much worse for them not being here. But we can celebrate what they were and what they achieved. We are so very proud of them.”

In an interview with the British Forces Broadcasting Service, Mr Brown acknowledged that it was proving to be a “difficult summer” for the troops in Afghanistan.

“These sacrifices that have hurt so many families in our country are ones that the whole of Britain will want to acknowledge,” he said.

His comments came as Conservative former defence secretary Lord King of Bridgwater became the latest senior figure to criticise the conduct of the campaign, saying “serious political mistakes” had been made by the Government.