‘Exceptional’ soldiers killed in live-firing exercise named
TWO “exceptionally talented” soldiers who died after an incident at a military training base in Wales have been named.
Corporals Matthew Hatfield and Darren Neilson, both of the Royal Tank Regiment, died from injuries they suffered at Castlemartin firing range in Pembrokeshire on Wednesday, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
Lieutenant Colonel Simon Ridgway, commanding officer of the Royal Tank Regiment, described the two men as “exceptionally talented soldiers who loved what they did”. He said: “The regiment has lost two real characters and feels truly honoured to have served with them,” he said. “They will both be sorely missed.” Cpl Hatfield was 27 and from Wiltshire. Cpl Neilson was 31 and from Lancashire. Both are thought to have served in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In a Facebook post, Collingbourne Cricket Club in Wiltshire paid tribute to Cpl Hatfield as a “player, friend and son”.
It said he had a fiancée and a young daughter.
Two other soldiers injured in the incident remained in a serious
condition in hospital last night, the MoD said.
Lt Col Simon Ridgway said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with all their families and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”
He said Cpl Neilson was “a real character within his crew, troop, squadron and the regiment and he had the respect of all those he worked with due to his professionalism, easy going nature and natural leadership style”.
He added Cpl Hatfield wanted to join the Army from an early age and had started basic training at the Army Training Regiment in Harrogate. Having finished the Challenger 2 drivers’ course in Bovington he joined the Queen’s Royal Hussars and while doing a job at the Armoured Trials and Development Unit he transferred into the Royal Tank Regiment.
Paramedics were called to the scene shortly after 3.30pm on Wednesday, taking two men to Morriston Hospital, in Swansea, one to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and airlifting a fourth to a Birmingham hospital.
The MOD Royal Armoured Corps range in Castlemartin, where flags flew at half mast yesterday, is one of two in the UK used for tanks and armoured units to carry out direct-fire live gunnery exercises.
It is believed that Wednesday’s tragedy involved a Challenger 2 battle tank and that a round could have exploded in the tank’s turret.
As a precautionary measure, a 48-hour worldwide ban was subsequently imposed on the ammunition which had been fired during the fatal training exercise.
Dyfed-Powys Police have launched an investigation alongside the Health and Safety Executive and the MoD.
A statement from the Royal Tank Regiment said its investigations were continuing.
Simon Hart, MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, said the incident was “awful” for the area and everybody involved.
“We’re hugely proud to welcome visiting soldiers here to train,” he told the BBC, and “we all know people who work at the camp”.
“We know how everyone is feeling and how devastated they will be by this. But they also recognise that this is one of the very few live firing ranges in the UK. They realise we can manage risk, we can reduce risk but we cannot eliminate risk... Nobody is under any illusions that training is often as challenging and as dangerous as actual active service and warfare is.”
Mr Hart added the MoD has a “very good system of making sure it gets to the bottom” of an incident, and that it was “well practised, sadly, in making sure that if there are lessons to be learned, they will be learned quickly”.
Based in Tidworth, Wiltshire, the Royal Tank Regiment consists of three squadrons – Ajax, Badger and Cyclops – each equipped with 18 Challenger 2 battle tanks.
On June 7, the regiment posted on its Facebook page saying Badger squadron had arrived in Castlemartin for its annual firing period.