Tributes to tragic Solihull soldier Staff Sergeant Brett Linley

Jul 20 2010 by Sophie Cross, Birmingham Mail

A BIRMINGHAM bomb disposal expert killed in an explosion in Afghanistan was a modest hero who never hesitated to put himself in danger, his comrades said.

Staff Sergeant Brett Linley, aged 29, from Birmingham, died in an explosion while clearing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from a major route in Nahr-e Saraj on Saturday.

Comrades described the Birmingham City fan as a “true hero” who had saved many lives – on one occasion unearthing three IEDs by himself in the space of an hour.

Solihull-born S Sgt Linley, who had been with The Royal Logistic Corps since 2001 and qualified as an ammunition technician in 2002, was described as a man of “courage and composure”.