They
were; Warrant Officer Class 2 Lee Hopkins, Royal Corps of Signals,
Staff Sergeant Sharron Elliott of the Intelligence Corps, Corporal Ben
Nowak of 45 Commando Royal Marines and Marine Jason Hylton of 539
Assault Squadron Royal Marines.
All died as a result of injuries
sustained following the detonation of an Improvised Explosive Device
(IED) mounted on a bridge on the Shatt Al Arab River on the eastern
edge of Basra City. The incident took place at approximately 1350 hrs
local time. All were onboard a Rigid Raiding Craft (RRC) which was part
of a routine boat patrol travelling north towards the Shatt Al Arab
Hotel, a British Army base on the river. Three other UK service
personnel sustained serious injuries in the attack.
Warrant Officer Class 2 Lee Hopkins, Royal Corps of Signals
Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) Lee Hopkins, 35, of The Royal Corps of
Signals, joined the British Army in 1988 and spent his entire career in
the Royal Corps of Signals. He had seen operational service in Northern
Ireland, Kosovo and previously in Iraq. At the time of his death he was
five weeks into a planned six month tour in Iraq.
WO2 Lee
Hopkins was an outstandingly professional soldier, who embraced the
challenges of his profession. He was extremely fit, a qualified
parachutist and keen all round sportsman. He excelled in rugby, squash,
golf and orienteering. Members of his unit had been impressed by his
strong character, wicked sense of humour, infectious enthusiasm and his
ability to thrive on challenge. WO2 Lee Hopkins came from
Wellingborough. He had been married for 10 years and leaves behind a
wife and son, aged three.
Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Park, his Commanding Officer in Iraq said:
"WO2 Lee Hopkins was the ultimate professional. Although he arrived
in Theatre only five weeks ago, he made an immediate impact. Vastly
experienced, he worked tirelessly for his soldiers, encouraging them to
succeed. He would always make time to pass on the benefit of his
knowledge to the newer members of the unit. He won the respect of all
who met him for his leadership, enthusiasm and dedication. Fit and
ambitious, he was a shining example to all.
"Proud of his airborne training, WO2 Lee Hopkins took every
opportunity to further his soldiering skills. He led from the front
with a quiet authority and paid attention to every detail. Charismatic,
he was comfortable in the presence of all ranks and selfless in seeking
assistance for his soldiers.
"WO2 Lee Hopkins was a dedicated family man who spoke often of his
wife and young son. He was a loving husband and devoted father. His
keen sense of humour and sociable character made him a very popular
member of the unit. He was great fun to be around.
"My thoughts and that of the unit are with his family and friends at
this very difficult time. We have lost a trusted and valued colleague,
who will be sorely missed by all."