Lance Corporal Dane Elson, 22, of 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, died on July 5 while on patrol in Helmand province as part of a Fire Support Group attached to The Light Dragoons Battle Group.
Trooper Christopher “Norm” Whiteside, 20, of The Light Dragoons, from Blackpool, died in a blast caused by an improvised explosive device near Gereshk in Helmand province on July 7. He was one of 15 soldiers killed during a bloody 10-day period earlier this month.
LCpl Elson, who was born in Zimbabwe, was given a funeral with full military honours in his family’s home town of Bridgend, south Wales.
His father, Stuart Elson, said: “I don’t know if we should be at war in Afghanistan. What I do know, as
a police officer in Barry, is that we need to take action to stop terror from coming our way.
“Dane was part of that action and paid the ultimate price, like so many others, so we may all sleep a little safer and easier in our beds tonight.”
Mr Elson said he wanted to come up with one word to sum up his son: “I checked the definition and the definition read ‘a man noted for his courage and outstanding achievements’. The word is hero.”
He said LCpl Elson had been “no angel” and was full of “fun, laughter and devilment”.
He said that while his son was Zimbabwe-born and spent most of his life living in England, he considered himself a Welshman and had a tattoo of the words “Cymru am byth”, meaning “Wales forever”.
“I know the blood he spilled on the battle fields of Afghanistan is considered to be Welsh,” he added.
Salem Chapel, in Pencoed, Bridgend, was packed for the service, which began with one of LCpl Elson’s favourite songs –I Believe I Can Fly, by R Kelly.
Captain Ian Moore, of 3 Royal Welsh, also paid tribute to a man who lived for his family and friends and was a dedicated soldier. “He took his duties seriously and was proud to serve his country,” he said.
In Blackpool, the tearful younger brother of Trooper Whiteside told hundreds of mourners the fallen soldier was a “hero” who has been living out his dreams serving in the Army.
Trooper Whiteside was also a “best buddy” and the man he looked up to, his brother Daniel, 16, told the packed funeral service at Holy Trinity Church.
As their mother Diane dabbed her eyes, the teenager choked back tears as he gave a eulogy to his older brother, saying: “Christopher, you’re not just my brother ... he was my best buddy.
“Chris is somebody I could look up to. It was a dream to him to be in the Army and go fighting in Afghanistan and he’s fulfilled his dream. He was my hero. I will miss everything about him, he was a great brother.”
Trooper Whiteside had been involved in some of the fiercest fighting ever experienced in Afghanistan, the funeral service was told by his commanding officer, Lt Col Angus Watson.
He was taking part in Operation Panther’s Claw, which aims to clear the Taliban out of Babaji and Malgir, within Helmand, ahead of Afghan presidential elections.
Trooper Whiteside, a keen fencer who hoped to represent his country at the 2012 London Olympics, was “living the dream” and was a young man who loved being a soldier, mourners heard.
Lt Col Watson, of The Light Dragoons, said Trooper Whiteside first planned to join up in 2005 but a serious injury prevented him completing Army training.
However, he was determined to serve his country and re-joined in March 2008 and went to Afghanistan in April this year.
He was in the thick of it from the outset, leading from the front in the intense heat during fierce fighting, Lt Col Watson added.
A total of 188 British servicemen and women have been killed in Afghanistan since the start of operations in 2001.
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