Major killed in Iraq accident named

Major Bateson, 49, from Chislehurst in Kent, who was married, was killed in a road traffic accident in Basra in the south of the country on Tuesday.

The keen sportsman was riding his bike on the Contingency Operating Base at Basra Air Station when he was involved in an accident with a coach. The soldier was taken to the field hospital by ambulance but sadly died of his injuries.

He had been working at the headquarters of Multi-National Division (South East) for the last three months, where his role was to support communications between the UK and British forces in Iraq.

He was on detachment from the Defence Information Infrastructure Integrated Project Team, based in Corsham, Devon.

Major Bateson had represented the Army in the triathlon and orienteering and competed in swimming, cross country, and cycling at the highest levels of service competition.

He is survived by his wife Angela, the Ministry of Defence said.

Major Bateson's death is the 147th fatality the British military has suffered since the beginning of hostilities in Iraq four years ago.

It is the first fatality in May and comes after one of the bloodiest months ever for the British military in Iraq, during which 12 service personnel were killed.

The Ministry of Defence said he was riding a bike when it was involved in an accident with a coach transporting troops around the base. A full investigation is to be undertaken into the accident, an MoD spokesman said.