Tributes to gunner, 19, and comrade who were found dead on same day
THE family of a teenage soldier who died within hours of a comrade on Salisbury Plain has praised her selflessness and compassion.
Gunner Jaysley-Louise Beck, 19, was found dead at a base in Larkhill, Wiltshire, on December 15 – the same day as Lance Corporal Michael Joseph Miah, 28, of the Household Cavalry, who was found in his garage three miles away.
Both died from hanging. There were no suspicious circumstances.
Gunner Beck’s family, from Oxen Park in Cumbria, said she was ‘a loving and caring person who would go above and beyond to help anyone in a less fortunate position’.
They added: ‘If there is ever a person who needs help, you could always count on Jaze to be there. Her compassion for others and her ability to light up the room, putting a smile on anybody’s face, is immeasurable.’
The teenager, from 14 Regiment Recruitment Team, had completed her initial training at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate before continuing her military career at Larkhill in 2020.
An inquest is due at a later date and the Army confirmed an investigation into her death was under way. A spokesman said: ‘Any death is a tragedy and our sympathies remain with the families and friends of those affected.’
Two separate inquests at Salisbury were opened and adjourned last month. Each hearing was told that a post-mortem examination found the cause of death was hanging.
Gunner Beck’s family said it was asking for donations to be made to The Principle Trust Children’s Charity, adding: ‘We believe this charity radiates the kind of positivity that Jaysley always had, helping give children their dreams back.
‘One hundred per cent of every £1 raised goes towards helping provide free holidays to underprivileged, disadvantaged and disabled children from across Yorkshire.
‘A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered.’
Since 2018, at least five deaths at Army bases on Salisbury Plain were found to have been suicides.
The sister of Lance Corporal Miah paid tribute to her ‘beautiful baby brother’, posting on Facebook: ‘Sometimes the biggest smiles have the saddest hearts. It’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay to struggle. It’s okay to be sad. But, let someone know.’