'Much-loved, bright and funny' – Scots RAF man, 23, killed in Afghan blast

A YOUNG Scottish father was named yesterday by the Ministry of Defence as one of two servicemen killed in Afghanistan.

Senior aircraftman (SAC) Graham Livingstone, 23, died alongside his comrade, SAC Gary Thompson, after their "Wolf" Land Rover was blown up while patrolling outside the main Nato base at Kandahar airfield on Sunday.

SAC Livingstone, originally from Glasgow, leaves behind a young son, Kyle, and was described as "one of the brightest characters on the squadron".

SAC Thompson, 51, a reservist with the Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment, was a father of five who worked as a managing director in Nottingham in civilian life. He is the oldest British serviceman to have been killed in Afghanistan or Iraq.

The men were taking part in a security patrol as part of "support weapons flight" of 3 Squadron RAF Regiment when the tragedy occurred.

Two others were also injured when the vehicle was struck by a blast from a roadside device in Daman district, near the perimeter of Kandahar airfield. All four were rushed to the field hospital inside the base but SAC Livingstone and SAC Thompson died.

The deaths bring the number of Britons killed on service in Afghanistan to 93.

In a statement, SAC Livingstone's mother, Rosemary O'Neil, said: "Graham was a much-loved father, son and brother. He died doing a job he loved. As a family, we are very proud and he will be sadly missed."

The avid Celtic fan and amateur DJ, nicknamed "Livi", was briefly in the Royal Marines before joining the RAF Regiment – responsible for protecting airfields – and he served as a gunner in Iraq, Northern Ireland and Afghanistan.

His commander, squadron leader Richard Langley, said: "Always with a smile, a throwaway line and a gag, Livi's humour was at the heart of support weapons flight. He was one of us and his loss is deeply felt by us all."

SAC Thompson, who became a successful businessman after spending four years with the RAF in the 1970s, was managing director of a ducting company.

He leaves behind a wife, Jacqui, and five daughters, Laurie, 24, Aimee, 22, Jordan, 20, Jade, 17 and Kelly, 16.

In a statement, his family said: "A devoted husband, father, son and brother who touched the lives of everyone who knew him, Gary was more than our hero, he was the rock and foundation of our family.

"Words cannot express how much he was loved and how proud of him we are. Gary, you have had our hearts from the beginning and now they are yours forever." Before flying out to Afghanistan, he was quoted in his local paper as saying: "I have five daughters, three of whom are at university. I want women in Afghanistan to be given the same opportunity that my daughters have had.

"It means I can come back and say I have played my part in trying to make that happen."

The Defence Secretary, Des Browne, said he was "greatly saddened" by the two deaths.

"They were both extremely well-liked and popular airmen and will be sorely missed by all who knew them," he said. "My thoughts and prayers are with their families at what must be the most difficult of times."

The two other servicemen caught up in the blast suffered less serious injuries and one has already returned to duty, the MoD said.

TRAINING TRAGEDY

A BRITISH soldier died and nine of his comrades were injured during a training exercise after the vehicle they were travelling in overturned.

The soldier, who has not been named, was based in Hoehne, Germany, and was at the exercise range in Hohenfels, Baden Wuerttemberg, when the accident happened on Monday.

A spokesman for the MoD said: "We can confirm the death of a soldier during a training exercise in Bavaria. The next of kin are being informed."