The Human Cost Of War: Remembering The Fallen Raf Gunners In Afghanistan

As of 23 July 2015, a total of 454 British forces personnel or Ministry of Defence civilians have died while serving in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001. Of these, 405 were killed as a result of hostile action.

RAF Regiment personnel were among those who served in Afghanistan. For example, Senior Aircraftman Ryan Tomlin was killed in Afghanistan on 13 February 2012.

The number of British forces personnel or MOD civilians who have died while serving in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001

Since the start of operations in Afghanistan in October 2001, 454 British forces personnel or Ministry of Defence (MOD) civilians have lost their lives while serving in the country. This figure rose to 457 as of 22 February 2020. The vast majority of these fatalities occurred following the redeployment of British forces to the Taliban stronghold of Helmand province in 2006.

Of the 454 fatalities, 405 were killed as a result of hostile action, and 49 are known to have died from illness, non-combat injuries, or accidents. The causes of death for the remaining three are pending investigation. The number of fatalities peaked in 2009 and 2010, when over 100 personnel were killed.

During Operation Herrick, the codename for British military operations from 2002 to 2014, there were 616 serious or very serious casualties among armed forces and civilian personnel. This figure includes 2,209 admissions to field hospitals for wounds sustained in action and 4,529 admissions for diseases or non-battle injuries.

The Army has suffered the heaviest losses, with 362 fatalities as of 1 May 2013. The majority of those killed were aged between 20 and 29, with 439 male and three female fatalities.

Among the British casualties in Afghanistan, there have been several notable deaths of RAF personnel:

• Senior Aircraftman Kinikki "Griff" Griffiths, RAF Regiment, died in a vehicle accident on 16 July 2010.
• Squadron Leader Anthony Downing, RAF, was wounded in an explosion south of Kabul on 22 December and later died of his wounds in the UK.
• Flt Lt Steven Johnson, Flt Lt Leigh Anthony Mitchelmore, Flt Lt Gareth Nicholas, Flt Lt Allan Squires, Flt Lt Steven Swarbrick, Flt Sgt Gary Andrews, Flt Sgt Stephen Beattie, Flt Sgt Gerard Bell, Flt Sgt Adrian Davis, Sergeant Benjamin James Knight, Sergeant John Joseph Langton, and Sergeant Gary Paul Quilliam died when their Nimrod surveillance aircraft crashed due to an onboard fire during in-flight refuelling.

The number of those killed as a result of hostile action

As of 23 July 2015, a total of 454 British forces personnel or Ministry of Defence civilians have died while serving in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001. Of these, 405 were killed as a result of hostile action.

• Captain Tom Sawyer, aged 26, from 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, and Corporal Danny Winter, aged 28, from Zulu Company 45 Commando Royal Marines, were killed by an explosion on 14 January 2009.
• Private Joseva Vatubua, aged 24, of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, was killed in the Nahr-e-Saraj district of central Helmand on 1 January 2011.
• Senior Aircraftman Ryan Tomlin, aged 21, from 2 Squadron RAF Regiment, was taking part in a partnered patrol to reassure and interact with the local population in the western Dashte area on the edge of Nad ‘Ali district in central Helmand province when he was fatally wounded by small arms fire from an insurgent attack on 13 February 2012.
• Lance Corporal Jamie Webb, of 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire), died in an ISAF Hospital in Afghanistan on 26 March 2013 from wounds sustained during an enemy attack on his patrol base in the Nad 'Ali district of Helmand province the previous day.
• Kingsman David Robert Shaw from 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment died in Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham on Wednesday 16 January 2013 from wounds sustained in Afghanistan.
• Sapper Richard Walker from 28 Engineering Regiment, attached to 21 Engineering Regiment as part of the Task Force Helmand Engineering Group, was shot in an apparent "insider attack" by a member of the Afghan National Army at Patrol Base Hazrat in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province on Monday 7 January 2013.

The number of those who died either as a result of illness, non-combat injuries or accidents

As of 22 February 2020, 457 fatalities of British Forces personnel, including Ministry of Defence civilians, have been recorded since the start of operations in Afghanistan in October 2001. Of these, 404 were killed as a result of hostile action, and 51 are known to have died either as a result of illness, non-combat injuries or accidents, or have not yet officially been assigned a cause of death pending the outcome of an investigation.

The first three British casualties were non-hostile deaths in Kabul, from suicide, accidental weapons discharge and homicide.

On 9 August 2006, Private Leigh Reeves, aged 25, from the Royal Logistic Corps, died in a road traffic accident at Camp Souter, Kabul. There was no insurgent involvement.

On 11 June 2006, Captain Jim Philippson, aged 29, from 7 Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery, was killed in a gun battle with suspected Taliban militants while he participated in a mobile patrol.

On 27 June 2006, Captain David Patton, aged 38, a member of the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, and Sergeant Paul Bartlett, aged 35, a member of the Special Boat Service, were killed near the town of Sangin, Helmand Province, Southern Afghanistan. Having been forced to abandon their Snatch Land Rover after it was struck by an RPG, they were then engaged in a fierce firefight with Taliban forces during which both men were killed.

On 1 July 2006, Corporal Peter Thorpe, aged 27, of 14 Signal Regiment and Lance Corporal Jabron Hashmi, aged 24, of the Intelligence Corps, were killed when a Type 63 107mm Rocket hit the government compound they were defending in the town of Sangin. Lance Corporal Jabron Hashmi is the only British-Muslim soldier to be killed in either Iraq or Afghanistan.

On 15 December 2015, a helicopter crash resulted in the deaths of two further UK personnel, taking the total number of military deaths to 456.

The number of those who have not yet officially been assigned a cause of death pending the outcome of an investigation

As of 22 February 2020, there have been a total of 457 fatalities of British Forces personnel, including Ministry of Defence civilians, in Afghanistan since 2001. Of these, 404 were killed as a result of hostile action, and 51 are known to have died either as a result of illness, non-combat injuries or accidents, or have not yet officially been assigned a cause of death pending the outcome of an investigation.

The balance of these figures may change as inquests are concluded.

The number of UK military and civilian personnel admitted to UK Field Hospitals and categorised as Wounded in Action

Between 1 January 2006 and 31 March 2013, 2,116 UK military and civilian personnel were admitted to UK Field Hospitals and categorised as Wounded in Action.

The UK's Field Hospitals

The UK's Field Hospitals are responsible for the treatment of military and civilian personnel injured in combat operations. The Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, is the UK's primary military hospital. It is a unique centre in the United Kingdom, treating both military and civilian trauma.

The UK's Wounded in Action

For the period 1 January 2006 to 31 March 2013, 2,116 UK military and civilian personnel were admitted to UK Field Hospitals and categorised as Wounded in Action. This figure includes those wounded as a result of hostile action.

The UK's Wounded in Action: A Case Study

Senior Aircraftman Ryan Tomlin was taking part in a partnered patrol to reassure and interact with the local population in the western Dashte area on the edge of Nad ‘Ali district in central Helmand province when he was fatally wounded by small arms fire from an insurgent attack. He was evacuated by air to the field hospital at Camp Bastion where sadly he succumbed to his wounds.

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