Guardsman’s family sue MoD over his death
Soldier who was praised by the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex was killed by an elephant during patrol
THE family of a young soldier praised by the Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex after he was killed by an elephant during anti-poaching duties have accused Ministry of Defence chiefs of letting him down by failing to plan the fatal operation properly.
Guardsman Mathew Talbot, 22, serving with the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, was patrolling with local rangers in Malawi in May last year when he was charged by a raging elephant.
The Duke of Sussex said that Gdsm Talbot had made the “ultimate sacrifice in the service of his country and conservation”.
The Sunday Telegraph can now reveal that his parents Steven and Michelle Talbot are suing the MoD for more than £50,000 compensation for negligence. Gdsm Talbot was on an eight-day patrol in the bush in Liwonde National Park when a ranger spotted an elephant in the long grass.
As the team of five started to retreat, they came across another elephant, which attacked Gdsm Talbot, throwing him into the air.
The patrol leader, L/Sgt Padgham, managed to scramble up a tree, and distracted the elephant with a banger, before giving first aid to his comrade.
L/Sgt Padgham called for help for his T1 casualty – the highest priority with a risk to life – and Gdsm Talbot was carried about three-quarters of a mile by stretcher to a Land Rover to start his long journey to hospital.
He had suffered injuries to his head, left arm, right leg, and chest, with difficulty breathing, and was in severe pain. He needed oxygen and during the journey on rough ground his condition deteriorated and the Land Rover was stopped for a medic to carry out procedures.
The journey restarted but a paramedic could not find the young soldier’s pulse, and the truck was stopped for him to be resuscitated. CPR was carried out for 59 minutes, but the
‘Gdsm Talbot had made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of his country and conservation’
team was unable to revive him. Gdsm Talbot had suffered multiple rib fractures on both sides of his chest, as well as other bone injuries, a degloving scalp injury, and soft tissue issues, and died from complications of his chest and soft tissue injuries.
Mr and Mrs Talbot, of Great Barr, Birmingham, accuse the MoD of failing to carry out a risk assessment for personnel taking part in Op Corded, failing to provide training on avoiding injury from dangerous game and failing to make any plan for medical care.
In a writ lodged with the High Court, Mr and Mrs Talbot also claimed the MoD should have made plans to evacuate casualties quickly when air support was withdrawn, provided adequate medical facilities and sent the company paramedic to treat their son when his comrade called for T1 support.
Gdsm Talbot had volunteered for the operation, which helped train rangers to fight against poachers using tracking, general infantry skills and bushcraft. Following his death, the Duke of Cambridge, founder of United for Wildlife, wrote privately to his family to express his condolences, emphasising the vital importance of the counterpoaching work he was doing.
During the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s tour of Africa last September, the Duke laid a wreath at a memorial to Gdsm Talbot in Liwonde.
An MoD spokesman said: “The death of Gdsm Talbot last year was a tragedy and our deepest sympathies remain with his family, friends and former colleagues. We are unable to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”