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02/09/2009
NI Afghanistan Casualty Buried
The funeral of Captain Mark Hale, who was killed in Afghanistan, has taken place in Co Down.
He died while trying to help an injured colleague when he was caught in an explosion.
Today, his wife said words could not describe the desolation and loneliness she felt at losing "her soulmate".
She said her husband was a born soldier who loved his job and she offered condolences to the two other soldiers who died along side him.
A Bournemouth native, Captain Mark Hale - who in recent years settled in Dromara with his Bangor-born wife Brenda and their two daughters - died of injuries suffered in a bomb blast in Afghanistan last month.
He and Rifleman Daniel Wild, 19, both of the Ballykinler-based 2nd Battalion, The Rifles, were caught in an explosion in Sangin as they tried to help Lance Bombardier Matthew Hatton, 23, of the 40th Regiment Royal Artillery, injured in an earlier blast, to a waiting helicopter.
Rifleman Wild and Lance Bombardier Hatton died in the second explosion; Captain Hale later died of his injuries in hospital at Camp Bastion.
Lieutenant Colonel Rob Thomson, Commanding Officer, 2nd Battalion The Rifles, said: "It is almost impossible to know where to start when writing a tribute to a man as brave, huge and full-on as Mark Hale.
"He oozed quality, humanity and had a tremendous and mischievous sense of fun, which frequently lightened the load of this extraordinary tour."
He added that Capt Hale had a strong Christian faith, and even was the padre for one of the regiment's church services in Sangin.
The funeral of Rifleman Wild took place in County Durham on Tuesday.
Hundreds of mourners paid their respects to the teenager at St Mary's Church in Horden.
This month has also begun tragically. The Ministry of Defence confirmed yesterday that two soldiers from The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, were killed in an explosion north of Lashkar Gah, in Helmand.
They were on a foot patrol on Monday morning bringing the number of UK forces personnel killed since operations began in 2001 to 210.
See: Co Down Soldier's Body Returned
See: Black Day For Black Watch
(BMcC/KMcA)
He died while trying to help an injured colleague when he was caught in an explosion.
Today, his wife said words could not describe the desolation and loneliness she felt at losing "her soulmate".
She said her husband was a born soldier who loved his job and she offered condolences to the two other soldiers who died along side him.
A Bournemouth native, Captain Mark Hale - who in recent years settled in Dromara with his Bangor-born wife Brenda and their two daughters - died of injuries suffered in a bomb blast in Afghanistan last month.
He and Rifleman Daniel Wild, 19, both of the Ballykinler-based 2nd Battalion, The Rifles, were caught in an explosion in Sangin as they tried to help Lance Bombardier Matthew Hatton, 23, of the 40th Regiment Royal Artillery, injured in an earlier blast, to a waiting helicopter.
Rifleman Wild and Lance Bombardier Hatton died in the second explosion; Captain Hale later died of his injuries in hospital at Camp Bastion.
Lieutenant Colonel Rob Thomson, Commanding Officer, 2nd Battalion The Rifles, said: "It is almost impossible to know where to start when writing a tribute to a man as brave, huge and full-on as Mark Hale.
"He oozed quality, humanity and had a tremendous and mischievous sense of fun, which frequently lightened the load of this extraordinary tour."
He added that Capt Hale had a strong Christian faith, and even was the padre for one of the regiment's church services in Sangin.
The funeral of Rifleman Wild took place in County Durham on Tuesday.
Hundreds of mourners paid their respects to the teenager at St Mary's Church in Horden.
This month has also begun tragically. The Ministry of Defence confirmed yesterday that two soldiers from The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, were killed in an explosion north of Lashkar Gah, in Helmand.
They were on a foot patrol on Monday morning bringing the number of UK forces personnel killed since operations began in 2001 to 210.
See: Co Down Soldier's Body Returned
See: Black Day For Black Watch
(BMcC/KMcA)
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There have been heart-rending scenes of grief as the bodies of three soldiers killed in Afghanistan came home. Captain Mark Hale's widow Brenda and two young daughters travelled from their home in Co Down to attend a private repatriation ceremony at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:It will be cloudy again throughout the day. Mainly dry in the morning, but patchy drizzle in places, becoming more widespread and persistent in the afternoon. Freshening southwesterly winds. Maximum temperature 12 °C.Tonight:Cloudy with a spell of heavy rain pushing south through late evening and the early hours, followed by some clear spells. Minimum temperature 6 °C.
