- Richard Walker was a devoted father to young daughter Lilly-Faith
- Spr Walker, 23, was killed in a ‘green on blue’ attack by a the rogue Afghan
A British soldier murdered by an Afghan army traitor has been named as ‘shining star’ Sapper Richard Walker.
Tributes flooded in for the slain serviceman, a devoted father to young daughter Lilly-Faith, led by his devastated family.
Spr Walker, 23, was killed in a ‘green on blue’ attack when the rogue Afghan ran amok in a fortified base in Helmand Province.
His loved ones said in a statement: ‘Richard held two things close to his heart – his daughter and his colleagues in the Army.
'A proud, patriotic man, he died doing a job he loved, supporting his friends’.
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| A British soldier murdered by an Afghan army traitor was last night named as 'shining star' Sapper Richard Walker |
The avid football fan and gym fanatic, who served with 28 Engineer Regiment, was shot dead on Monday when the turncoat opened fire on UK troops after a row with fellow Afghans in Patrol Base Hazrat in the Nahr-e Seraj district of Helmand Province.
He was a driver working on a construction task preparing Nato bases to be handed to Afghan forces.
Six other British soldiers were injured in Monday’s attack and were treated at the hospital in Camp Bastion, the main allied base.
Six other British soldiers were injured in Monday’s attack and were treated at the hospital in Camp Bastion, the main allied base.
The killing underlined the threat from so-called ‘insider attacks’ which have claimed the lives of all six UK soldiers killed on the current six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Spr Walker, from Washington, Tyne & Wear, was the 24th British serviceman or woman to die in a green on blue’ incident, where allied troops are killed by the local forces they are training. The total number of UK deaths in the war is now 439.
Spr Walker, on his first tour of duty in Afghanistan, worked as a technician for car manufacturer Vauxhall before joining the Royal Engineers in July 2008.
He was described as a popular, well-respected and likeable’ soldier who would ‘talk for hours on end about his love for his daughter’.
Defence chiefs said that he was ‘destined to go on to greater things - his willingness to learn, unswerving sense of duty and personal motivation to pursue a successful career would have seen him progress far.
A true all rounder, his loss will be felt for years to come.’
Lieutenant Colonel Chas Story, Commanding Officer, 28 Engineer Regiment, said: ‘Spr Walker was the epitome of a true Sapper.
‘He made sure that he made the most of every opportunity, both in the Army and at home; it is without doubt that he had a lot to offer and a bright future.’
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| British soldiers with the Afghan National Army (ANA) troops in Camp Shorabak in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. (stock image) |
Lieutenant Brad Southall, Support Troop Commander, 42 Field Squadron, 28 Engineer Regiment, said: ‘He was a shining star.
‘I was struck by his charisma, his devotion to duty and his immense capability; he was the older brother whom everyone looked up to.’
Sapper Matthew Cunningham, of 28 Engineer Regiment, said: ‘I knew Richie for three years and was privileged to be able to call him my best mate.
‘He was thoughtful, funny and a big character in any group he found himself amongst, but he always put others first.
‘I have so many good memories but the one that stands out the most for me was the day that he christened his daughter Lilly-Faith.
‘He was so proud of her; I remember him standing that extra inch taller and his smile beaming more than usual.’
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack but that was discounted by insiders who said the gunman, identified as Mohammad Qasim Faroq, had no links to the terror group.
The number of ‘green on blue’ deaths increased dramatically last year, sewing deep distrust between foreign forces and the Afghan forces they are supposed to be supporting.
In 2012, more than 60 Nato service personnel, and a quarter of the British troops who died in Helmand, were killed in insider attacks.
Training and mentoring Afghan forces is the key plank of Nato’s exit strategy from Afghanistan.
The problem threatens to undermine the handover from international forces to local troops due to be completed by the end of 2014.
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