Jamie Gunn

Rifleman Jamie Gunn, Corporal Tom Gaden, and Lance Corporal Paul Upton , all of 1st Battalion The Rifles, died in in southern Afghanistan.

The soldiers died from wounds sustained as a result of an enemy explosion during an escort patrol in the Gereshk district, central Helmand province.Rifleman Jamie Gunn died in a blast in Afghanistan.

Jamie Gunn was born in Leamington Spa and grew up in Monmouth, Wales. He was selected as an apprentice for Land Rover before deciding that his future lay in the Armed Forces.

Soon after turning twenty, he enlisted into the Army in Hereford on 20 November 2007. Whilst waiting to start his basic training he worked long hours to get to the peak of physical fitness. He successfully completed his Combat Infantryman's Course at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick in May 2008, triumphing over an injury to reach the required standard.

On passing out from the centre he was posted to E Company, 1st Battalion The Rifles, in Beachley, Gloucestershire. He was twenty-one years old.

As a new Rifleman in the newly formed company, Rifleman Gunn settled in quickly to the hectic pace of pre-deployment training where his previous experience as a Land Rover mechanic was put to good use.

Practical with his hands and always keen to help, he was an asset to the team in making their life more comfortable when in the rough conditions of exercise and later on operations in Helmand, southern Afghanistan.

Careful in his choice of friends, he was a loyal and conscientious young man who was enthusiastic about his expectant career.

Predictably, he came out of his shell once the tour started in earnest, quickly establishing himself as a core member of his team and earning the respect of his commanders and fellow Riflemen alike.

Humorous, and at the centre of every banter session, he was clearly relishing his chosen profession, taking pride in his work and totally at ease in the harsh and austere working environment of these eight-man teams.

His valuable work with the soldiers of the Afghan National Army saw them develop noticeably over the months he acted as a mentor.

He was an integral part of a small and tight knit team, forged by common experience and communal struggle. His loss drives a deep sadness into this team and he will be sorely missed by those who will continue the struggle.

Our pain does not compare to the grief of his parents, Janet and Mervyn, and his sister Jess; our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time.

Once a Rifleman, always a Rifleman, 'Swift and Bold'.
Rifleman Jamie Gunn

Lieutenant Colonel Joe Cavanagh, Commanding Officer, 1 RIFLES, said:

"I was shocked and stunned by the news early yesterday morning that Rifleman Jamie Gunn had been killed with two fellow Riflemen by an improvised explosive device. This was a terrible shock for us and will be heart-rending for his family and friends.

"For one so young and inexperienced at the start of this operation, he had been performing superbly, and had grown into a very impressive, mature and confident Rifleman.

"He was showing as much potential as anyone and would no doubt have 'smashed' through the Junior Non-Commissioned Officer training later this year as he pressed on to even bigger and better things.

"We will remember his enviably calm, cool attitude under pressure - and his smile when the going was better. He will be very deeply missed."