‘Taking on horrible course was worth it for Matthew’
AGRIEVING fiancée has told of her devastation at losing her partner, who died after his tank exploded at a Welsh military base.
Matthew Hatfield, 27, was killed when an ammunition round blew up inside his Challenger 2 tank at the Ministry of Defence’s Castlemartin firing range in Pembrokeshire.
He was taken to Morriston Hospital, Swansea, but died just 24 hours later from serious burns.
His partner Jill McBride, 24, has spoken of her partner’s selflessness and sense of humour, after taking on a fundraising challenge in his memory.
“He was tank mad,” she said. “That was all he knew and all he wanted to do.
“He was a very funny guy who always put other people over himself.
“I just want to remember Matthew and show that he still lives on within me.”
Corporal Hatfield, of the Royal Tank Regiment (RTR), was an experienced and “well-respected” soldier who served in the Army for 11 years and completed tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, Canada and Bruni.
Another soldier, Corporal Darren Neilson, 31, from Lancashire and from the same regiment, also died as a result of the accident on June 14 this year. A coroner’s report found he suffered a cardiac arrest as a result of the blast.
Corporal Hatfield and Ms McBride, who come from Wiltshire, were due to start planning their wedding in January.
Ms McBride said her fiancé’s family were by his side when he died at the hospital’s Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery.
She added: “We heard about Matthew’s accident and went straight to Wales.
“Everything was such a blur. The doctor took me into a side room to talk to me first and then I was allowed to see Matthew.
“It was a massive shock. It didn’t feel real.
“It was a lot to take in but one thing I did take from it was how well he was treated and the staff gave him dignity.”
Ms McBride, who works as a theatre nurse, decided to raise money for the Tempest Burns Intensive Therapy Unit whose staff cared for Matthew in his final moments.
She took on a 12-mile “tough mudder” course to raise cash and plans to do an event every year on the anniversary of Matthew’s death on June 15.
She said: “I had to get through it. It was for Matthew, no option to pull out of any obstacles. It was horrible. But we did it all for Matthew and every pain and ache was worth it. Matthew would be so proud.”
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