At approximately 1100 hours local time, the soldiers were on a routine foot patrol 1km west of their Forward Operating Base in the Upper Sangin Valley when their patrol suffered a suicide explosive device.

Following their deaths the Commanding Officer of 2 PARA, Lieutenant Colonel Joe O’Sullivan, paid the following tribute:

“Today Private Nathan Cuthbertson, Private Daniel Gamble and Private Charles Murray were wounded by a suicide bomber near Forward Operating Base Inkerman, and despite the best efforts of the medics on the ground and at the hospital in Camp Bastion they could not be saved.

“They died doing their duty and doing their best, taking care with a potential threat, but also understanding the importance of connecting to the people around them. All three had been in Afghanistan for two months and had already experienced physically draining patrols in the high heat of the Afghan summer, combat with the Taliban, and the danger which is inescapable in our part of Helmand.

“They tested themselves to join The Parachute Regiment and they welcomed the challenge of operations. They knew the risks, and in facing them today as they had done every day before, they demonstrated the clear, cold courage which is the hallmark of their comrades and their Regiment.

“We will all take some time to think about them, and we salute them as brave young men, but our thoughts are also with their families who bear the greatest burden of their loss. We will turn to our job again and continue the relentless pressure on the Taliban in this valley, which in time will create space for a better life for the people here.

“When our job in Helmand is completed we will return home and honour them as members of 2 PARA who have given their all for their friends, their Regiment and the difficult task they faced. We will remember what they have done and the life that they have given, and what we achieve here will be their memorial.”

Private Daniel Gamble

Private Daniel Gamble was serving as a rifleman and Pashto linguist with 4 Platoon, B Company, 2 PARA when he was killed in action by a suicide device in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan. Private Gamble deployed to Afghanistan in March 2008.  Employed as the platoon linguist, he had gone forward with typical enthusiasm and professionalism to speak with a local Afghani when his platoon was attacked.

Private Gamble, 22, was born on 25 June 1985 and grew up in Uckfield, East Sussex. After a short period working in a variety of jobs upon leaving school, he applied to join The Parachute Regiment and completed his basic training at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick, North Yorkshire.

It was during this time that he passed the demanding Pre-Parachute Selection Course, known as ‘P Company’, and became eligible to serve with The Parachute Regiment. He joined 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment in October 2006 having earned his parachute ‘wings’ at RAF Brize Norton.

Upon arriving at 2 PARA, he joined 4 Platoon B Company and instantly made an impression. Bright and determined, he showed true grit during the battalion’s High Readiness exercises and marked himself as a man with the potential to go further.

It was during the initial phases of planning for the deployment to Afghanistan that Private Gamble was tested to assess his aptitude to learn a foreign language. Out of the 150 Private soldiers that were tested, he was one of 10 soldiers who showed the best aptitude to learn the language of the Afghan locals, Pashto.

Bright, determined and always positive, he completed the 40-week full-time language course, motivated by his eagerness to get out to Afghanistan and make a difference. His positive approach, friendship and humour helped the others on the course to stay focussed and upbeat.

He was confident too, willingly standing up in front of 300 soldiers and delivering a presentation on Pashto culture as part of pre-deployment training. His ability to speak the language of the locals of Helmand Province made a remarkable difference in the two months he spent in Afghanistan.

His skill and charisma ensured that he was always at the forefront of any patrol, his enthusiasm for his chosen profession was both relentless and infectious.

His Company Commander, Major Russell Lewis, said:

“Private Gamble was an incredibly talented individual and had completed a very demanding Pashto language course before the deployment. As a linguist he was instrumental to the Company’s ability to communicate with the locals. It was in this role that he had gone forward to communicate with a local national and was tragically killed by a suicide bomber.

“A professional, intelligent individual he had added huge value to the Company mission in Afghanistan. His loss will be sorely felt by his friends and colleagues. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”

4 Platoon Commander, Lieutenant David True, said:

“As an important part of my Platoon Headquarters, Private Gamble and I spent a lot of time together on and off patrol. He was a highly professional soldier and I felt secure in the knowledge that on patrol he was covering my back. Having grown up in the same part of the country we often spoke of home. He was very proud of his family and loved them dearly.”

Section Commander Corporal Mathew Walden said:

“Danny was a good friend and I’m going to miss him and his see-through shorts.”

Friend and colleague Lance Corporal Alan Farmer said:

“Dan was a dedicated individual who, when told he was to attend the Pashto course, did it with his usual dedication. Not only did he understand the language, he also tried to understand the culture and empathised with the people of Afghanistan. This is the only way to ever try and explain the character of the man, his dedication, professionalism and determination to make a difference to this country.”

Private Tom Wilson spoke of his friend:

“Dan, I’ll never forget meeting you on day one of basic training and having a laugh about being the only southerners and how cold it was or going down to Brize on our ‘Jumps’ Course and your gift of the gab with the ladies helped me meet my girlfriend. You’re a great friend and an even better soldier. I don’t speak alone when I say what a pleasure it has been working with you and how much I’ll miss you.”

Private Lewis Barlow said:

“Private Gamble, Dan, was a very good friend of mine. Coming to the Battalion shortly after I did we spent a lot of time together in the same platoon at first, and a considerable amount of our spare time in Colchester. Dan was an exceptional paratrooper and very intelligent. Mostly I will miss our banter and conversation. My thoughts and condolences go to his family and friends.”

Private Gamble’s Mother and Father said:

“Dan died doing the job he was so proud to do, with the regiment he was so proud to be a part of. He was special because he had trained in the Afghan Pashto language. He was special to his family and friends – a true hero in every sense.

“He will be missed by so many people more than he would ever know. We all love him and will miss him so very much, forever in our memories. Our hearts go out to the families of the comrades who fell with him.”

On learning of the deaths of the three soldiers yesterday, Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, said:

“It is with both a sense of deep sadness and pride that I have reflected on these most recent British deaths in Afghanistan, and as the Chief of the Defence Staff I would like to say a few words.

“As you know, 100 brave and professional servicemen have now died in Afghanistan. They laid their lives down for their country and their comrades.

“Every one of those deaths is a tragedy. Nothing can ever compensate for the loss felt by their loved ones and to them all I extend my deepest sympathies.

“I only hope that the terrible hardship that they have been asked to bear can be eased by the certainty that in Afghanistan our forces are engaged in a most worthy and noble endeavour. And they are making good progress.

“Right across the country, the international effort is beginning to effect real change. Ordinary Afghans face immense hardships but bit by bit life is improving. In parts of Afghanistan which were once lawless, there is now governance and rule of law. Across the country, more than seven million children are now in school and increasing numbers of people have access to healthcare.

“Nowhere is the battle for the future of Afghanistan more pressing than in Helmand, the focus of the British effort, where UK forces have magnificently taken the fight to the Taliban and put them on the back-foot. Make no mistake, the Taliban influence is waning, and through British blood, determination and grit, a window of opportunity has been opened.

“The international community is starting to grasp this opportunity, and throughout the province the indications are promising, with the green shoots of development emerging from Musa Qala in the north of the Sangin Valley to Garmsir in the south. But much of this progress could quickly unravel without a continuing and energised international commitment.

“Our Armed Forces are resolute in doing what their country asks of them. These deaths, though hard to bear, remind us all of the extraordinary sacrifices they and their families make on our behalf – and of the price of failure if we falter in Afghanistan. We continue to owe them a great debt of gratitude.”

Secretary of State for Defence, Des Browne, said:

“I would like to express my deepest sympathy for the family, comrades and friends of the three soldiers killed in Afghanistan this weekend. My thoughts at this time are also with the loved ones of each and every one of the 100 courageous members of the British Armed Forces who have now lost their lives in Afghanistan. They gave their lives securing freedom and stability, not just for the people of Afghanistan but, as the tragic events of 9/11 showed, for all of us. We will never forget them.

“Every visitor to our forces in Afghanistan comes back with the same sense of awe and admiration for the courage, professionalism and dedication of the remarkable young men and women serving out there. As a nation we have always been supremely proud of our Armed Forces, and with considerable justification. Quite simply they exemplify the very best qualities of the human spirit.

“Their effect on southern Afghanistan in the last two years has been remarkable. They have transformed the heartland of the Taliban from an area of lawless oppression and terrorism to a place of democracy and development. We must never forget that this extraordinary achievement, which makes us all safer from the scourge of terrorism, has come at a very significant cost to our brave servicemen and women, their families and friends.”