Marine died in attack by teenage bomber
The family of a marine from Northampton who was killed in Afghansitan by a teenage suicide bomber will finally have closure following his inquest, the Royal British Legion has said.
Corporal Marc Birch, aged 26, from Kingsthorpe, was killed along with two fellow soldiers from 45 Commando in December 2008 while serving in southern Afghanistan.
An inquest, held in Wiltshire this week, heard they were killed by a child suicide bomber who had hidden explosives in a wheelbarrow and approached them as they guarded a bridge.
Yesterday Colin Spears, a spokesman for the Northampton branch of the Royal British Legion, and a soldier of 30 years' experience, said families often felt a sense of relief after an inquest.
He said: "It brings closure. When a serviceman is killed there is an inquest and that draws things out for the family and loved ones in a way that doesn't often happen with civilian deaths.
"First you have the shock of the notification of death and then the stress of a funeral and then the wait until the inquest is heard. In this case that was over a year.
"Until you have the official facts recorded it's always in the back of your mind that you will have to go through those awful things once again."
Mr Spears said the Royal British Legion was in contact with Cpl Birch's family as well as Charlene Birch, who Cpl Birch had married shortly before his death, and had offered support.
At the inquest into the soldiers' deaths on Wednesday, it was heard that the bomber also died in the attack and a nearby Afghan farmer suffered minor injuries in the blast.
The hearing was told it was possibly the first time this kind of tactic had been employed against British troops in Helmand.
The farmer had described the boy as young, with no facial hair or beard, and estimated he could have been as young as 13, the inquest was told.
Cpl Birch was part of a group which was guarding a bridge in the Sangin area in the southern part of Helmand Province .
They had climbed out of their vehicles for a discussion when they were approached by the boy who was pushing a wheelbarrow.
It contained a large amount of explosives which the boy detonated a few paces away from where the soldiers stood.
Cpl Birch and Sgt John Manuel, from Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, died instantly and were blown off the bridge into the water, the inquest heard.
Marine Damian Davies, from Shropshire, was flown to Camp Bastion but was declared dead after an hour of failed attempts to resuscitate him.
The coroner recorded a verdict for the three men as unlawful killing.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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