During the Iraq War, 179 British service personnel and at least three UK Government civilian staff died.[1]
Many more were wounded. Of the more than 183 fatalities, 138 personnel were classified as having been killed in hostile circumstances, with the remaining 44 losing their lives as a result of illness, accidents/friendly fire, or suicide. The first casualties were sustained on 21 March 2003, with the bloodiest single day of the campaign being 30 January 2005 when a Royal Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft was shot down between Baghdad and Balad, killing all 10 servicemen on board. Steven Roberts (2nd Royal Tank Regiment) is recorded as the first soldier killed in the operation (albeit by friendly fire); two Royal Engineers were killed the previous day by a hostile crowd. Full non-fatal casualty records are currently only available for the period after 1 January 2006. From that date until the end of operations, 3,598 British personnel were wounded, injured or fell ill (315 wounded in action), 1,971 of whom required aeromedical evacuation.
British dead (by service)
Royal Navy
- Royal Navy – 8
Total: 8
Royal Marines
- Royal Marines – 11
Total: 11
British Army
- Household Cavalry Regiment – 3
- Royal Armoured Corps
- Royal Regiment of Artillery – 8
- Corps of Royal Engineers – 4
- Royal Corps of Signals – 5
- The Infantry
- Special Air Service – 8
- Army Air Corps – 2
- Royal Logistic Corps – 5
- Royal Army Medical Corps – 3
- Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – 5
- Adjutant General's Corps
- Intelligence Corps – 3
Total: 137
Royal Air Force
- RAF Strike Command – 1
- RAF Benson – 2
- No. 33 Squadron RAF (Puma HC.1) – 1
- RAF Lyneham – 3
- No. 47 Squadron RAF (Hercules C.1/C.3) – 5
- RAF Marham
- No. IX (B) Squadron (Tornado GR.4) – 2
- RAF Aldergrove
- No. 230 Squadron RAF (Puma HC.1) – 1
- RAF Brize Norton – 1
- RAF Regiment
- 1 Squadron – 3
- 16 Squadron – 1
- 504 Squadron RAuxAF – 1
- Royal Air Force Police – 1
Total: 22
UK government civilian personnel
- Ministry of Defence Fire Service – 1
- Department of Health and Social Care – 1
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office (contractor) – 2
Total: 4
British dead (rank – name – age – unit – incident – date)
(NB: IED = improvised explosive device. RTA = road traffic accident. Non-hostile = friendly fire.)
2003
Combat fatalities: 40, other fatalities: 13, wounded in action: n/a, other injured: n/a.
Rank | Name | Age | Unit | Cause of death | Location | Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Private | Ryan Thomas | Royal Regiment of Wales | RTA | 6 November 2003 | |||
Corporal | Ian Plank | Royal Marines | small arms fire | 31 October 2003 | |||
Sergeant | John Nightingale | Royal Logistic Corps | accident | 23 September 2003 | |||
Fusilier | Russell Beeston | 52nd Lowland Regiment | killed in action | 27 August 2003 | |||
Major | Matthew Titchener | Royal Military Police | small arms fire | 23 August 2003 | |||
Warrant Officer Class 2 | Colin Wall | Royal Military Police | small arms fire | 23 August 2003 | |||
Corporal | Dewi Pritchard | Royal Military Police | small arms fire | 23 August 2003 | |||
Captain | David Jones | Queen's Lancashire Regiment | IED | 14 August 2003 | |||
Private | Jason Smith | 52nd Lowland Regiment | non-hostile incident | 13 August 2003 | |||
Captain | James Linton | Royal Artillery | illness | 18 July 2003 | |||
Sergeant | Simon Hamilton-Jewell | Royal Military Police | killed by crowd | 24 June 2003 | |||
Corporal | Russell Aston | Royal Military Police | killed by crowd | 24 June 2003 | |||
Corporal | Paul Long | Royal Military Police | killed by crowd | 24 June 2003 | |||
Corporal | Simon Miller | Royal Military Police | killed by crowd | 24 June 2003 | |||
Lance Corporal | Benjamin Hyde | Royal Military Police | killed by crowd | 24 June 2003 | |||
Lance Corporal | Thomas Keys | Royal Military Police | killed by crowd | 24 June 2003 | |||
Leonard Harvey | Ministry of Defence Fire Service | illness | 22 May 2003 | ||||
Corporal | David Shepherd | Royal Air Force Police | illness | 19 May 2003 | |||
Gunner | Duncan Pritchard | Royal Air Force Regiment | RTA | 8 May 2003 | |||
Private | Andrew Kelly | Parachute Regiment | accident | 6 May 2003 | |||
Lance Corporal | James McCue | Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | explosion | 30 April 2003 | |||
Fusilier | Kelan Turrington | Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | friendly fire | 6 April 2003 | |||
Lance Corporal | Ian Malone[Note 1] | Irish Guards | killed in action | 6 April 2003 | |||
Piper | Christopher Muzvuru[Note 2] | Irish Guards | killed in action | 6 April 2003 | |||
Lieutenant | Alexander Tweedie | Household Cavalry Regiment | vehicle accident | 1 April 2003 | |||
Lance Corporal | Karl Shearer | Household Cavalry Regiment | vehicle accident | 1 April 2003 | |||
Staff Sergeant | Chris Muir | Royal Logistic Corps | EOD operation | 31 March 2003 | |||
Lance Corporal | Shaun Brierly | Royal Signals | RTA | 30 March 2003 | |||
Marine | Christopher Maddison | Royal Marines | friendly fire | 30 March 2003 | |||
Major | Steve Ballard | Royal Marines | illness | 30 March 2003 | |||
Lance Corporal of Horse | Matty Hull | Household Cavalry Regiment | 'friendly fire' | 28 March 2003 | |||
Corporal | Stephen Allbutt | Queen's Royal Lancers | 'friendly fire' | 25 March 2003 | |||
Trooper | David Clarke | Queen's Royal Lancers | 'friendly fire' | 25 March 2003 | |||
Lance Corporal | Barry Stephen | Black Watch | killed in action | 24 March 2003 | |||
Sergeant | Steven Roberts | 2nd Royal Tank Regiment | friendly fire | 24 March 2003 | |||
Sapper | Luke Allsopp | Royal Engineers | killed by crowd | 23 March 2003 | |||
Staff Sergeant | Simon Cullingworth | Royal Engineers | killed by crowd | 23 March 2003 | |||
Flight Lieutenant | Kevin Main | Royal Air Force | aircraft shot down 'friendly fire' | 23 March 2003 | |||
Flight Lieutenant | David Rhys Williams | Royal Air Force | aircraft shot down 'friendly fire' | 23 March 2003 | |||
Lieutenant | Philip Green | Royal Navy | helicopter crash | 22 March 2003 | |||
Lieutenant | Antony King | Royal Navy | helicopter crash | 22 March 2003 | |||
Lieutenant | Marc Lawrence | Royal Navy | helicopter crash | 22 March 2003 | |||
Lieutenant | Philip West | Royal Navy | helicopter crash | 22 March 2003 | |||
Lieutenant | James Williams | Royal Navy | helicopter crash | 22 March 2003 | |||
Lieutenant | Andrew Wilson | Royal Navy | helicopter crash | 22 March 2003 | |||
Colour Sergeant | John Cecil | Royal Marines | helicopter crash | Kuwait | 21 March 2003[2] | ||
Lance Bombardier | Llywelyn Evans | Royal Artillery | helicopter crash | Kuwait | 21 March 2003[2] | ||
Captain | Philip Stuart Guy | Royal Marines | helicopter crash | Kuwait | 21 March 2003[2] | ||
Marine | Sholto Hedenskog | Royal Marines | helicopter crash | Kuwait | 21 March 2003[2] | ||
Sergeant | Les Hehir | Royal Artillery | helicopter crash | Kuwait | 21 March 2003[2] | ||
Operator Maintainer | Ian Seymour | Royal Navy | helicopter crash | Kuwait | 21 March 2003[2] | ||
Warrant Officer Class 2 | Mark Stratford | Royal Marines | helicopter crash | Kuwait | 21 March 2003[2] | ||
Major | Jason Ward | Royal Marines | helicopter crash | Kuwait | 21 March 2003[2] | ||
2004
Combat fatalities: 10, other fatalities: 12, wounded in action: n/a, Other Injured: n/a.
Rank | Name | Age | Unit | Cause of death | Location | Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sergeant | Paul Connolly | Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | 'Found dead' | 26 December 2004 | |||
Private | Pita Tukutukuwaqa | Black Watch | IED | 8 November 2004 | |||
Sergeant | Stuart Gray | Black Watch | Suicide car-bomb | 4 November 2004 | |||
Private | Paul Lowe | Black Watch | Suicide car-bomb | 4 November 2004 | |||
Private | Scott McArdle | Black Watch | Suicide car-bomb | 4 November 2004 | |||
Staff Sergeant | Denise Michelle Rose | Royal Military Police | 'Found dead' | 31 October 2004 | |||
Private | Kevin McHale | Black Watch | RTA | 29 October 2004 | |||
Corporal | Marc Taylor | Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | IED | 28 September 2004 | |||
Gunner | David Lawrence | Royal Artillery | IED | 28 September 2004 | |||
Fusilier | Stephen Jones | Royal Welch Fusiliers | RTA | 10 September 2004 | |||
Lance Corporal | Paul Thomas | The Light Infantry | Small arms fire | 17 August 2004 | |||
Private | Marc Ferns | Black Watch | IED | 12 August 2004 | |||
Private | Lee O'Callaghan | The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment | Attack on vehicles | 9 August 2004 | |||
Private | Christopher Rayment | The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment | accident | 4 August 2004 | |||
Flight Lieutenant | Kristian Gover | Royal Air Force | Helicopter accident | 19 July 2004 | |||
Fusilier | Gordon Gentle | Royal Highland Fusiliers | IED | 28 June 2004 | |||
Corporal | Richard Ivell | Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | Accident | 12 February 2004 | |||
Sapper | Robert Thompson | Royal Engineers | Accident | 31 January 2004 | |||
Rifleman | Vincent Windsor | Royal Green Jackets | RTA | 21 January 2004 | |||
Lance Corporal | Andrew Craw | Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders | Range accident | 7 January 2004 | |||
Major | James Stenner | Special Air Service | RTA | 1 January 2004 | |||
Sergeant | Norman Patterson | Special Air Service | RTA | 1 January 2004 | |||
Mr. | Mike McGovern | Ministry of Health | Illness | May 2004 | |||
Mr. | Robert Morgan | Foreign and Commonwealth Office | IED | April 2004 | |||
Mr. | Mark Carman | Foreign and Commonwealth Office (contractor) | IED | April 2004 |
2005
Combat fatalities: 20, other fatalities: 3, wounded in action: n/a, other injured: n/a.
Rank | Name | Age | Unit | Cause of death | Location | Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sergeant | John Jones | Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | IED | 20 November 2005 | |||
Sergeant | Chris Hickey | Coldstream Guards | IED | 18 November 2005 | |||
Captain | Ken Masters | Royal Military Police | Suicide | 15 October 2005 | |||
Major | Matthew Bacon | Intelligence Corps | IED | 11 September 2005 | |||
Fusilier | Donal Anthony Meade | Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | IED | 5 September 2005 | |||
Fusilier | Stephen Robert Manning | Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | IED | 5 September 2005 | |||
Second Lieutenant | Richard Shearer | Staffordshire Regiment | IED | 16 July 2005 | |||
Private | Leon Spicer | Staffordshire Regiment | IED | 16 July 2005 | |||
Private | Phillip Hewett | Staffordshire Regiment | IED | 16 July 2005 | |||
Signaller | Paul William Didsbury | Royal Signals | Accident | 29 June 2005 | |||
Lance Corporal | Alan Brackenbury | The King's Royal Hussars | IED | 29 May 2005 | |||
Guardsman | Anthony John Wakefield | Coldstream Guards | IED | 2 May 2005 | |||
Private | Mark Dobson | Tyne-Tees Regiment | 'Found dead' | 28 March 2005 | |||
Squadron Leader | Patrick Marshall | Royal Air Force | Aircraft shot down | 30 January 2005 | |||
Flight Lieutenant | David Stead | Royal Air Force | Aircraft shot down | 30 January 2005 | |||
Flight Lieutenant | Andrew Smith | Royal Air Force | Aircraft shot down | 30 January 2005 | |||
Flight Lieutenant | Paul Pardoel | Royal Air Force | Aircraft shot down | 30 January 2005 | |||
Master Engineer | Gary Nicolson | Royal Air Force | Aircraft shot down | 30 January 2005 | |||
Chief Technician | Richard Brown | Royal Air Force | Aircraft shot down | 30 January 2005 | |||
Flight Sergeant | Mark Gibson | Royal Air Force | Aircraft shot down | 30 January 2005 | |||
Sergeant | Robert O'Connor | Royal Air Force | Aircraft shot down | 30 January 2005 | |||
Corporal | David Williams | Royal Air Force | Aircraft shot down | 30 January 2005 | |||
Lance Corporal | Steven Jones | Royal Signals | Aircraft shot down | 30 January 2005 | |||
2006
Combat fatalities: 27, other fatalities: 2, wounded in action: 93, other injured: 1209.
Rank | Name | Age | Unit | Cause of death | Location | Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sergeant | Graham Hesketh | Duke of Lancaster's Regiment | IED | 28 December 2006 | |||
Sergeant | Jonathan Hollingsworth | Special Air Service | Small arms fire | 24 November 2006 | |||
Warrant Officer Class 2 | Lee Hopkins | Royal Signals | IED | 12 November 2006 | |||
Staff Sergeant | Sharron Elliott | Intelligence Corps | IED | 12 November 2006 | |||
Corporal | Ben Nowak | Royal Marines | IED | 12 November 2006 | |||
Marine | Jason Hylton | Royal Marines | IED | 12 November 2006 | |||
Kingsman | Jamie Lee Hancock | Duke of Lancaster's Regiment | Small arms fire | 6 November 2006 | |||
Lieutenant | Tom Tanswell | Royal Artillery | RTA | 27 October 2006 | |||
Lance Corporal | Dennis Brady | Royal Army Medical Corps | Mortar fire | 1 October 2006 | |||
Gunner | Lee Thornton | Royal Artillery | Small arms fire | 7 September 2006 | |||
Gunner | Samuela Vanua | Royal Artillery | IED | 4 September 2006 | |||
Gunner | Stephen Robert Wright | Royal Artillery | IED | 4 September 2006 | |||
Corporal | Matthew Cornish | The Light Infantry | Mortar fire | 1 August 2006 | |||
Corporal | John Cosby | Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry | friendly fire | 16 July 2006 | |||
Lieutenant | Tom Mildinhall | 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards | IED | 28 May 2006 | |||
Lance Corporal | Paul Farrelly | 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards | IED | 28 May 2006 | |||
Private | Joseva Lewaicei | Royal Anglian Regiment | IED | 13 May 2006 | |||
Private | Adam Morris | Royal Anglian Regiment | IED | 13 May 2006 | |||
Wing Commander | John Coxen | Royal Air Force | Helicopter shot down | 6 May 2006 | |||
Lieutenant Commander | Darren Chapman | Royal Navy | Helicopter shot down | 6 May 2006 | |||
Captain | David Dobson | Army Air Corps | Helicopter shot down | 6 May 2006 | |||
Flight Lieutenant | Sarah-Jayne Mulvihill | Royal Air Force | Helicopter shot down | 6 May 2006 | |||
Marine | Paul Collins | Royal Marines | Helicopter shot down | 6 May 2006 | |||
Lieutenant | Richard Palmer | Royal Scots Dragoon Guards | IED | 16 April 2006 | |||
Captain | Richard Holmes | Parachute Regiment | IED | 28 February 2006 | |||
Private | Lee Ellis | Parachute Regiment | IED | 28 February 2006 | |||
Trooper | Carl Smith | 9th/12th Royal Lancers | RTA | 2 February 2006 | |||
Corporal | Gordon Alexander Pritchard | Royal Scots Dragoon Guards | IED | 31 January 2006 | |||
Lance Corporal | Allan Douglas | The Highlanders | Small arms fire | 30 January 2006 | |||
2007
Combat fatalities: 37, other fatalities: 10, wounded in action: 202, other injured: 1098.
Rank | Name | Age | Unit | Cause of death | Location | Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Guardsman | Stephen Ferguson | Scots Guards | RTA | 13 December 2007 | |||
Trooper | Lee Fitzsimmons | Special Air Service | Helicopter crash | 20 November 2007 | |||
Sergeant | John Battersby | Special Air Service | Helicopter crash | 20 November 2007 | |||
Lance Corporal | Sarah Holmes | Royal Logistic Corps | RTA | 14 October 2007 | |||
Sergeant | Mark Stansfield | Royal Logistic Corps | Accident | 21 September 2007 | |||
Sergeant | Eddie Collins | Special Air Service | 'Hostile action' | 5 September 2007 | |||
Lance Sergeant | Chris Casey | Irish Guards | IED | 9 August 2007 | |||
Lance Corporal | Kirk Redpath | Irish Guards | IED | 9 August 2007 | |||
Leading Aircraftman | Martin Beard | RAF Regiment | Small arms fire | 7 August 2007 | |||
Private | Craig Barber | Royal Welsh | Small arms fire | 6 August 2007 | |||
Corporal | Steve Edwards | Royal Tank Regiment | IED | 1 August 2007 | |||
Lance Corporal | Timothy Darren Flowers | Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | Mortar fire | 21 July 2007 | |||
Senior Aircraftman | Christopher Dunsmore | RAF Regiment | Mortar fire | 19 July 2007 | |||
Senior Aircraftman | Peter McFerran | RAF Regiment | Mortar fire | 19 July 2007 | |||
Senior Aircraftman | Matthew Caulwell | RAF Regiment | Mortar fire | 19 July 2007 | |||
Corporal | Christopher Read | Royal Military Police | Small arms fire | 7 July 2007 | |||
Lance Corporal | Ryan Francis | Royal Welsh | IED | 7 July 2007 | |||
Rifleman | Edward Vakabua | The Rifles | friendly fire | 6 July 2007 | |||
Corporal | Paul Joszko | Royal Welsh | IED | 28 June 2007 | |||
Private | Jamie Kerr | Royal Regiment of Scotland | IED | 28 June 2007 | |||
Private | Scott Kennedy | Royal Regiment of Scotland | IED | 28 June 2007 | |||
Corporal | John Rigby | The Rifles | IED | 22 June 2007 | |||
Major | Paul Harding | The Rifles | Mortar fire | 20 June 2007 | |||
Lance Corporal | James Cartwright | 2nd Royal Tank Regiment | RTA | 16 June 2007 | |||
Corporal | Rodney Wilson | The Rifles | Small arms fire | 7 June 2007 | |||
Corporal | Jeremy Brookes | The Rifles | Small arms fire | 21 May 2007 | |||
Private | Kevin Thompson | Royal Logistic Corps | IED | 6 May 2007 | |||
Major | Nick Bateson | Royal Signals | RTA | 1 May 2007 | |||
Rifleman | Paul Donnachie | The Rifles | Small arms fire | 29 April 2007 | |||
Kingsman | Alan Joseph Jones | Duke of Lancaster's Regiment | Small arms fire | 23 April 2007 | |||
Corporal | Ben Leaning | Queen's Royal Lancers | IED | 19 April 2007 | |||
Trooper | Kristen Turton | Queen's Royal Lancers | IED | 19 April 2007 | |||
Sergeant | Mark J. McLaren | Royal Air Force | Helicopter crash | 15 April 2007 | |||
Colour Sergeant | Mark Lawrence Powell | Special Air Service | Helicopter crash | 15 April 2007 | |||
Second Lieutenant | Joanna Yorke Dyer | Intelligence Corps | IED | 5 April 2007 | |||
Corporal | Kris O'Neill | Royal Army Medical Corps | IED | 5 April 2007 | |||
Private | Eleanor Dlugosz | Royal Army Medical Corps | IED | 5 April 2007 | |||
Kingsman | Adam James Smith | Duke of Lancaster's Regiment | IED | 5 April 2007 | |||
Rifleman | Aaron Lincoln | The Rifles | Small arms fire | 2 April 2007 | |||
Kingsman | Danny John Wilson | Duke of Lancaster's Regiment | Small arms fire | 1 April 2007 | |||
Private | Jonathon Wysoczan | Staffordshire Regiment | Small arms fire | 3 March 2007 | |||
Rifleman | Daniel Lee Coffey | The Rifles | Small arms fire | 27 February 2007 | |||
Private | Luke Daniel Simpson | Yorkshire Regiment | IED | 9 February 2007 | |||
Second Lieutenant | Jonathan Bracho-Cooke | Duke of Lancaster's Regiment | IED | 5 February 2007 | |||
Private | Michael Tench | The Light Infantry | IED | 21 January 2007 | |||
Kingsman | Alexander William Green | Duke of Lancaster's Regiment | Small arms fire | 13 January 2007 | |||
Sergeant | Wayne Rees | Queen's Royal Lancers | RTA | 7 January 2007 | |||
2008
Combat fatalities: 2, other fatalities: 2, wounded in action: 20, other injured: 758.
Rank | Name | Age | Unit | Cause of death | Location | Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Corporal | Lee Churcher | Royal Engineers | Gunshot (non-hostile) | 11 December 2008 | |||
Lance Corporal | David Kenneth Wilson | Army Air Corps | Gunshot (non-hostile) | 4 December 2008 | |||
Sergeant | Nick Brown | Special Air Service | Small arms fire | 26 March 2008 | |||
Sergeant | Duane Barwood | Royal Air Force | Rocket attack | 29 February 2008 | |||
2009
Combat fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 1, wounded in action: 0, other injured: 218.
Rank | Name | Age | Unit | Cause of death | Location | Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Private | Ryan Wrathall | Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment | Gunshot (non-hostile) | 12 February 2009 | |||
Notes
- ↑ Ian Malone (died 2003) was a citizen of the Republic of Ireland
- ↑ Christopher Muzvuru (died 2003) was a citizen of the Republic of Zimbabwe
References
External links
- "UK military deaths in Iraq", BBC News, 7 July 2016