Grenade attack soldier's body flown home (From This Is Wiltshire)

Grenade attack soldier's body flown home

6:30am Thursday 9th September 2010 in

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THE body of a soldier killed during a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Afghanistan will be repatriated back to RAF Lyneham later today.

Lance Corporal Joseph Pool, of The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, was killed in Afghanistan on September 5.

The 26-year-old, who was part of a team working in the Nad-e-Ali (North) district carrying out searches on compounds, died during a rocket-propelled grenade blast.

L/Cpl Pool's body is due to be flown into RAF Lyneham and, after a ceremony, his coffin will be driven through nearby Wootton Bassett.

The father-of-two, from Greenock, Renfrewshire, joined the Army in August 2003 and was engaged to Lynsey.

Paying tribute, Miss Houston, said: "Joe was a loving fiance and wonderful dad of two boys aged seven and two.

"He was much loved and he will be missed by all his family and friends."

He also leaves behind his mother and father, Stella and Roddy, and brother Ryan.

They said: "Joseph was a loving son to Stella and Roderick, brother of Ryan, loving father of Lee and Jamie and devoted partner to Lynsey.

"Joseph lived life to the full and was proud of everything he achieved in the Army, always putting others first and doing the best he could at all he did."

Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Herbert, Commanding Officer of The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, added: "I take some small comfort from the knowledge that he died doing a job that he loved and that he was so very good at.

"He died a soldier's death, in close combat, bravely and tenaciously taking the fight to the insurgents, and in doing so helping to protect the people of Afghanistan from a barbaric enemy."

It has been a bloody year for British troops in Afghanistan, with 89 dying so far in 2010, bringing the total UK deaths since the start of operations in 2001 to 334.