Pictured: British soldier, 29, who died during training accident in Iraq
The British soldier who died during a training accident in Iraq on Sunday was 29-year-old 'family man' Lance Corporal James Freeman, the Ministry of Defence said. L/Cpl Freeman, described as a 'dedicated and experienced' soldier, had been in the Army for 10 years and had been served in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment - nicknamed The Vikings - since February 2017.The father of one had been in Iraq as part of Operation SHADER, the ongoing effort to support allies in the Middle East fighting the so-called Islamic State, when the accident occured on Sunday.An American soldier was also killed in the training exercise, which occured in Erbil in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq, the US Army later said.Prior to his last deployment in the Middle East he had contributed to the national response to the Covid pandemic, and had served in South Sudan, the Falklands, Jordan, Romania and Kenya.A highly skilled soldier, he had served as a rifleman, mortman and machine gunner, and had been appointed Section Second In Command within the Assault Pioneer Platoon - a role in which he had been 'deeply invested'. A notice published by the Ministry of Defence on Wednesday also noted that he was a keen clay pigeon shooter in his downtime - and a fan of playing video games into the late hours with soldiers across his battalion.A flurry of tributes from top brass, his commanding officers and his fellow soldiers were published alongside the confirmation of his identity. The British soldier who died in a training accident in Iraq has been named as Lance Corporal James Freeman (pictured) L/Cpl Freeman was described as having 'the very essence of a Viking soldier' having served in the Royal Anglian Regiment since 2017Corporal William Thorpe, Section Commander within Suffolk Company, described L/Cpl Freeman as his 'best friend', adding: 'I do not believe I would be where I am today without him.'Colonel James Bishop, Commander of the British Forces in Operation SHADER, said: 'His absence leaves a profound, irreplaceable void, and he will be missed beyond measure by everyone who had the privilege to serve alongside him.'Norfolk Company commanding officer Major James SD Pugh called him 'the very essence of a Viking soldier' and a highly regarded member of the Regiment.'Beyond his military excellence, Lance Corporal Freeman was a devoted husband and father. His greatest pride was his daughter, and the simple walks to and from school were the moments he cherished most each day,' he added.Warrant Officer Class 2 Bradley P Hilton, Company Sergeant Major in Suffolk Company, added: 'He was utterly reliable and I could always count on him.'If I ever asked how he was progressing, he would flash a cheeky side smile and say, "Don’t worry Sir, I’m on it" – and he always was.'Defence Secretary John Healey paid tribute to the soldier, who 'served our country with dedication, professionalism and pride'.Mr Healey added: 'He was a greatly valued member of his regiment who will be deeply missed. My thoughts are with his family, loved ones and colleagues at this devastating time.'The tributes paid to James make clear he was an exceptional soldier, leader and friend.'British troops are stationed at a multinational base in Erbil, which has been the repeat target of attacks by Iranian suicide drones.It is thought Iran has targeted the base in retaliation at US-Israeli strikes. Details of the training accident have not been made public.
