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'She dreamed of being a soldier. Now she won't be coming home' Father's agony over daughter killed in Afghanistan
Last updated at 15:07pm on 19.06.08
Posing radiantly beside her father on her wedding day just two years ago, this is Sarah Bryant, the first British woman soldier to die in Afghanistan.
The intelligence officer's father released the picture - his favourite - in tribute after the 26-year-old was killed with three SAS soldiers by a Taliban roadside bomb.
Her comrades who also died were named today as Corporal Sean Robert Reeve, 28, of the Royal Signals, Lance Corporal Richard Larkin, 39, and Paul Stout, 31.
Corporal Bryant's father, Des Feely, speaking today, likened their deaths to the soldiers who fell in World War II and said he had lost his 'Angel of the North'.
Heartbreak: Des Feely with his daughter Sarah Bryant on her wedding day two years ago. He released this, his favourite picture of her, as a tribute
Mr Feely, at his home in Cumbria, invoked the words of wartime prime minister Winston Churchill as he spoke of his beloved daughter.
He said: 'There are so many people both in the military and locally where she grew up that are not only going to be touched by this but also devastated at the loss of such a beautiful girl.
'Nothing much seems to have changed since the days of Churchill's famous speech. Never have so many owed so much to so few.
'We truly have lost the "Angel of the North". God bless to Sarah.'
Corporal Bryant and the three SAS reservists were all killed when their Land Rover was caught by a roadside bomb during a secret operation in Lashkar Gah.
Her father fought back tears yesterday as he tried to describe his emotions after her death on Tuesday.
He said: 'It is truly devastating... an absolute massive shock. Ever since she was a schoolgirl, it was her dream to be a soldier. I cannot believe she will not come home.'
A veteran of two six-month tours to Iraq, his daughter had recently been promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the Intelligence Corps.
As a speaker of the local Pashtu language, her work involved monitoring frontline Taliban telephone and walkie-talkie communications.
On duty: Corporal Bryant on patrol in Afghanistan
Sgt Bryant was coming to the end of her five-month tour in Afghanistan when her Snatch Land Rover was hit by the massive blast in Helmand province on Tuesday afternoon.
'She was due to fly back next month,' Mr Feely said. 'But now she'll be coming back to be buried with military honours at the church in nearby Wetheral where she was married two years ago.'
The three soldiers who died with her, all Territorial Army SAS reservists, had also been due home soon.
A fifth soldier was critically wounded but was described as 'stable' last night.
Mr Feely, 55, spoke movingly of his daughter at the family home in the village of Cotehill on the outskirts of Carlisle.
He said he and his wife Maureen were told the shattering news of their daughter's death in a phone call at 1am yesterday.
He said: 'My elderly mother is staying with us, so we had to break the news to her that her only granddaughter had been killed. We are absolutely devastated to have lost
the beautiful daughter we adored, and right now I don't know how we will cope.
'But I know that at least Sarah died doing the job she loved and for a cause she believed in.'
Tug of love: Sarah messes around with her father in the garden
The blonde intelligence officer, an accomplished horsewoman, was well-known around the Cumbrian village where her father is a steward at the local Conservative club.
Mr Feely, a keen light aircraft pilot, recalled how he had once flown 200 miles to Sarah's army base in southern England to bring her home when there was a rail strike.
'She loved her army career, but she always loved it round here,' he said.
Family friend Dave Shepherd, 59, said: 'Sarah was absolutely beautiful. A really, really lovely girl. Her father absolutely worshipped the ground she walked on. Both Desmond and Maureen will be absolutely devastated.
'Sarah was extremely career minded. She always wanted to be in the Army, and was totally driven toward it. She was destined for the top.
'She loved the outdoor life and was an extremely keen horserider. In many ways she reminded me of Princess Anne. She had the same love of horses and the same poise.
'Sarah was always a very driven, sensible girl, even in her teens. Des and I used to fly planes together for fun and Sarah used to love to join us. She used to love holding the control column. She was always extremely friendly and had lots of friends.'
Happy couple: Carl and Sarah Bryant surrounded by family and friends at their wedding in 2005
Sarah is understood to have attended William Howard comprehensive school in Brampton, Cumbria before going on to university.
She and the four SAS men were on a patrol in a remote area with a detachment of Afghan Police who they were training.
The Afghans were in trucks but the Britons had only the lightly-armoured Snatch Land Rover, originally designed to protect passengers against bullets and firebombs in Ulster.
The vehicle was hit by a huge explosion, thought to have been caused by a booby-trap bomb placed by insurgent fighters.
Their deaths took the number of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 106. Nine have died in the past ten days.
The tragedy prompted fresh criticism of the level of equipment available to UK forces in combat.
Their Land Rovers offer no protection against the roadside bombs which have now become the Taliban's main method of attack and have claimed scores of British lives in recent months.
The latest tragedy was the biggest single loss of life for UK forces in Afghanistan in more than 18 months, since an RAF Nimrod spyplane crashed killing 14 men.
It was the worst toll of Special Forces soldiers since the Falklands Conflict 26 years ago.
Two of the SAS reservists were members of 'G' Squadron of 23 SAS Regiment, based in Manchester. The third was from 63 Signals Squadron, which works alongside the SAS.
They were among dozens of special forces reservists who have deployed to Afghanistan to train local police.
Reader views (13)
Our present society is without wisdom to allow women to serve in harm's way. Our heritage as English, and descendants of English, is Christianity where the husbands lay down their lives for their wives as Christ laid down His life for the church. As a marriage is a picture of Christ and the church, women are not to go to war for men.
On the value of this war, if Islam is somehow softened to allow freedom of worship, there is hope for this world. If not, I believe terrorism will continue and Islam will eventually conquer the west. It's fight now or fight lose. And if we fight later, we will very possibly loose, with the result being that our great grand children will be being beheaded in our town squares for not worshipping Alah.
- Jack, USA, 02/07/2008 02:18
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Illegal war, wrongful death. The people who call the wars never fight in them, but send others to their deaths in their place.
- Neil, London UK, 19/06/2008 15:25
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You join the forces, you risk losing your life, it's that simple.
- Brandon Thomas, London UK, 19/06/2008 14:26
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A waste of what sounds to have been a promising young life, like so many others who have been used as pawns in illegal invasions by uncaring politicians. Our troops are meant to defend their own country's interests, not fighting the US's military posturing in the Middle East. The least this Govt could do is equip our brave men and women properly.
- Yvonne, Doncaster, UK, 19/06/2008 14:04
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Phoned up at 1am by the MOD so it could get in the next day's newspapers front page headlines I suspect.
How cold hearted the MOD is?
Still, with all the avoidable deaths due to improper equipment, (of which this tin plated Land Rover was one) the MOD couldn't give a toss.
Their bosses, the Labour cronies washed their hands ages ago.
Now they spend their efforts gaining as much PR out of service people's deaths as they can.
Killed by the Labour Taliban.
- David Diggins, Derby, England., 19/06/2008 13:56
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I'm sure that members of the armed forces serving in Afghanistan are well aware of the risks they are taking; they are in a far better position to judge than Britsh-based commentators.
There are those who would avert risk at every opportunity and those who embrace it with a sense of adventure. The former can seldom understand the latter as their ignorance is only matched by their lack of sympathy.
Trite comments like these do not deserve the space they are given. Perhaps Sgt. Bryant's father should have shrugged his shoulders and resigned himself to the inevitability of his daughter's death?
- Nigel, London, 19/06/2008 13:19
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Marcus - I think they were probably very aware that it could happen , i.e. getting shot. Sam - You obviously have never lost anyone. It is something anyone says when somebody dies.... i.e. parents, generally die before their children and children know this, but when it happens you still cannot believe it or that you will never see them again.... Very silly comments, Sam
- Anonymous, Middx, 19/06/2008 13:12
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What's wrong with you both? Of course it's in the back of friends and families' minds that they may get injured but no one assumes they won't come back. Most people live in hope, not assuming that death should just be expected. Of course it was a shock to her parents and of course it will take time for reality to sink in. Are we saying that every time you get in a car your relatives should expect you don't come home and that when they get that awful call they should say 'oh well, he did go out in a car'. Ridiculous. Have some compassion.
- Victoria, London, 19/06/2008 12:28
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Total waste of another life. Not protecting British interests, just the butt end of pathetic political posturing. I respect their bravery. They are in an impossible position and the ones who pay the ultimate price.
- Philip, London, England, 19/06/2008 11:49
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It would have been better if 'Sam' and 'Marcus' had kept their comments to themselves just now. This girl and these men were sent by us - not personally - but by a government and a Parliament that collectively acts in our name.
These four did not 'die in combat'. They were merely targets
Where these two commentators might have directed their criticism in the first place is towards those whose policies the soldiers were carrying out and secondly against those in the MoD (and the Army for that matter) who continue to put troops in the line of fire with inadequate equipment. It is negligent, if not criminal, to expose our troops to take hit after hit from roadside bombs knowing that our vehicles are not more protected.
Frankly, I am astonished that the troops have not refused to serve. This mess, readers, is down to the electorate and taxpayers to solve. The troops need our protection, now.
- Peter Snowdon, London, 19/06/2008 11:32
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Can you not just leave aside your opinions and grant the family some time for grieving? Regardless of whether or not they should be "prepared" to lose their loved one, it will still come as a shock for goodness sake.
- Liam, London, 19/06/2008 10:15
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Prior to her joining the Armed Forces, did her father not warn Sarah that soldiers get shot at and bombed.
- Marcus Forbes Herrington, Bagshot Surrey, 19/06/2008 08:20
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As sad as this is, it amazes me when surviving members of a fatally wounded soldier says things like "I cannot believe she will not come home."
When you join the army and go to places like Afghanistan, Vietnam in the '60s/70s, Northern Ireland around the same period SURELY as a soldier and relatives of soldiers, somewhere in the back of your mind you must think "bombs, guns, bullets, snipers...I/he/she might get injured or killed."
The harsh reality is, soldiers have been getting killed from day one.
It's akin to a boxer/relatives of boxers thinking to themselves before a fight "I hope I/he doesn't get punched in the face."
- Sam, Lewisham, 19/06/2008 06:35
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