IN MEMORIAM

CPL JAMIE KIRKPATRICK (32)
101 ENGINEER REGIMENT (EOD),
ROYAL ENGINEERS
KIA JUNE 27 – AFGHANISTAN

THE “backbone” of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team was killed by small arms fire in Helmand province.
Cpl Jamie Kirkpatrick, of 101 Engineer Regiment (EOD), part of the Counter-IED Task Force, died in Nahr-e-Saraj district.
The 32-year-old, who was born in Edinburgh but lived in Llanelli in South Wales, leaves behind his wife Heidi and their 15-month-old daughter Holly.
In a statement Cpl Kirkpatrick’s family said: “Jamie was a larger-than-life individual who was loved, loyal and loud.”
Cpl Kirkpatrick, known as “KP”, enlisted in the Royal Engineers in 1997 and was posted to 28 Engineer Regiment in Hameln, Germany.
Over the next six years he qualified as a Class 1 plant operator mechanic, was promoted to lance corporal and served in Iraq. He gained the rank of corporal in 2006.
For his deployment to Afghanistan Cpl Kirkpatrick was attached to 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD) and was a member of the Joint Force EOD Group.
Lt Col David Southall, commanding officer of the C-IED Task Force, said: “His diligence, coolness under pressure and total confidence in his abilities always shone through and his actions undoubtedly saved lives.”
Sgt Scott Docherty added: “During any task I could ask for a piece of kit or something to be done and it was already there or already done.”