Lest we forget - Sergeant Major Beckett

Warrant Officer Class 2 Company Sergeant Major Beckett who had been in the Army for 20 years
He was from the 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment and was killed by a bomb on Saturday
Warrant Officer Class 2 Company Sergeant Major Beckett who had been in the Army for 20 years
He was from the 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment and was killed by a bomb on Saturday.

A total of 352 UK service personnel have died in Afghanistan.

Sgt Maj Beckett, 36, died in the village of Shaheed,  His unit was in the Nad-e Ali district when an improvised explosive device (IED) blew up as he was moving into position to cover his comrades.

Sgt Maj Beckett joined the Army in 1990 and was known as "Tom". He had served in Iraq, Kosovo and Northern Ireland.

Originally from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, he had been expecting his first child with his wife Rachel, later this month.

Mrs Beckett said: "We love him and shall miss him so very much. May his love for life, strength, humour and strong character live on forever in his baby girl Freya."

His commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel James Coates, said: "Warrant Officer Class 2 Colin Beckett was one of the most talented sergeant majors of his generation.

"With a long and distinguished career spanning countless deployments and three tours in Afghanistan, he represented the very essence of a paratrooper - professional to the core, devoted to his men and hugely respected.

"He was a family man and a true gentleman. But most of all, to us, he will be remembered as a fellow paratrooper and trusted friend who unconditionally gave his all in life."