Lack Of Headsets 'Killed British Soldiers'

Three British servicemen were accidentally killed by a US bomb because the radio operator who called in the airstrike did not have a headset, an has inquest heard.

British forward air controllers in Afghanistan had to borrow equipment from American colleagues in order to hear radio orders above the noise of gunfire.

Privates Aaron McClure, 19, Robert Foster, 19, and John Thrumble, 21, all of 1st Bn The Royal Anglian Regiment were under intense fire in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

An F15 aircraft, called to help, dropped a 230kg (500lb) bomb on them instead of a Taliban position half a mile further north.

The soldiers, (pictured) all died in the blast on August 23, 2007.

Coroner David Masters told the inquest that Sgt Mark Perren, who called in the strike could not hear the co-ordinates properly when they were repeated back to him because he had no radio headset.

Deafened by enemy mortars, the forward air controller incorrectly confirmed one wrong digit of the co-ordinate and the American bomb landed on his three comrades in the village of Mazdurak.

Mr Masters said: "Headsets were unavailable. According to Sgt Perren the only ones who were lucky enough to get them were those who borrowed them from the American forces."

Sgt Perren told the inquest in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, the bomb was his "responsibility". He said: "If I had any doubt in my mind that the bomb was going to land on friendly forces I would have stopped it."

Recording a narrative verdict, Wiltshire coroner David Masters said he would make six recommendations to the Ministry of Defense to prevent such an incident happening again.

But he said a decision by the Pentagon to gag US witnesses to the tragedy was "difficult to understand".

Pte Foster's mother Lisa, said: "We have already forgiven Sgt Perren."

Her husband John Foster added: "We think he was in a 'no win' situation. He was a scapegoat. He had no support around him."

The government insists troops in war zones have been provided with adequate equipment. The MoD has now made headset issue mandatory.

(LB/BMcC)