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Captain and corporal who died in blast at Taliban stronghold
Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor16 Jan 2009
AN Army captain aged 26 who was educated in Rickmansworth was today named as one of two British servicemen killed by an explosion in southern Afghanistan earlier this week.
Captain Tom Sawyer of the Royal Artillery and Corporal Danny Winter, 28, of the Royal Marines died taking part in an operation to clear a Taliban stronghold north-east of Gereshk in Helmand on Wednesday.
Captain Sawyer, from Hertfordshire, who attended Watford Grammar and Rickmansworth schools, followed his father into the Army and graduated from Sandhurst in 2002.
He first served in Afghanistan in 2006 and returned there in October last year as a training officer in 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery.
A keen sportsman, he married in March last year and was today described by his family as a "hero" whose infectious personality touched all who knew him.
Corporal Winter, from Manchester, joined the Royal Marines in 1996 and had served in Iraq and Northern Ireland.
