Afghanistan war: Rupert Thorneloe tribute to Mark Evison

Lieutenant Mark Evison, 26, died last May as he led his platoon from 1st Battalion Welsh Guards out on a patrol to secure compounds and “dominate” the Haji Alem area of Nad-e-Ali district, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Channel 4 News has exclusively obtained combat video footage showing the moments leading up to Lt Evison’s death.

Like Lt Evison, Lt Col Thorneloe had almost predicted his own fate. For Mark Evison it was in the form of scribbled pencil entries into his journal whilst on his first tour in Afghanistan during April and May 2009. For Lt Col Thorneloe it was in the form of his final despatches to commanders at the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Lt Col Thorneloe, 39, was commander of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, and died with Trooper Joshua Hammond on 1 July 2009 when their convoy set off an improvised explosive device (IED) during a patrol north of Lashkar Gah.

I have tried to avoid griping about helicopters – we all know we don’t have enough. Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe

Last year Thorneloe’s memo, which was marked as “Nato secret”, was leaked to the Daily Mail and was reported widely as another reminder as to why British Armed Forces needed more helicopters in Afghanistan to move around and avoid ambushes by the Taliban of the kind which resulted in Lt Evison’s untimely death, not to mention the threat of IED’s, which took his own life.

In the memo headed “Battle Group Weekly Update”, he wrote: “I have tried to avoid griping about helicopters – we all know we don’t have enough.

“We cannot not move people, so this month we have conducted a great deal of administrative movement by road. This increases the IED threat and our exposure to it.”

Lt Col Thorneloe was scheduled to meet Lt Evison’s mother Margaret to explain what had happened to her son Mark on that fateful day in May. He never made that meeting, because he too was killed just weeks after Evison.

He did manage to write a personal letter to Mrs Evison before his life was taken, which Channel 4 News publishes for the first time.

British fatalities in Afghanistan – the full list

Letter from Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe, Commanding Officer 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, Afghanistan, May 2009

Dear Mrs Evison,

On behalf of the whole regiment and particularly his many Welsh Guards friends, may I offer you my deepest and most sincere condolences on the terrible news of Mark’s death. I am painfully conscious that no words of mine can possibly compensate you for your appalling loss, but I wanted you to know that you are in all of our thoughts at this extremely distressing time. Mark was a hugely popular regimental figure and his tragic and untimely death has shaken us all.

Since his arrival in the battalion over a year ago, Mark has been commanding 7 Platoon in Number 3 Company. He made an immediate impression as a highly competent young officer – fit, professionally competent, and cool and decisive under pressure. He always demonstrated great concern for the welfare of his men and they in turn worshipped him and would have followed him anywhere. In short Mark impressed everyone here so much that he was soon rated as the best platoon commander in the Welsh Guards – against extremely stiff competition.

Mark impressed everyone here so much that he was soon rated as the best platoon commander in the Welsh Guards – against extremely stiff competition. Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe

In Afghanistan Mark’s platoon was attached to the Number 2 Company Group. 2 Company is responsible for securing the southern half of a district called Nad-e-Ali. Nad-e-Ali is a significant centre of most of the Helmand population situated just outside the provincial capital Lashkar Gah. The Company has four patrol bases, one of which – Haji Alem – houses Mark’s platoon.

Mark was the senior man in that small outpost – an enormous responsibility for a young platoon commander, but one which he was filling with his usual flair and seemingly effortless competence. Part of the routine in a patrol base such as Haji Alem is to send out patrols into the surrounding area in order to deter insurgent activity and to provide security for the local population.

…an enormous responsibility for a young platoon commander, but one which he was filling with his usual flair and seemingly effortless competence. Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe

Mark was leading one of these patrols at 8.30 on 9 May 2009 when they came under a heavy weight of enemy fire. Mark took control of his part of the patrol, and extracted them to a position of care in a building. However a second part of the patrol remained pinned down by enemy fire. In order to gain the situational awareness necessary for him to make a plan to extract (from enemy fire) the other half of his patrol, Mark stood up in the doorway of the building that he was in. As he stood up he was hit in the shoulder by a single round.

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When a commander becomes injured in a battle or in an exercise, particularly when the commander is as strong and effective as Mark was, things can often go wrong, but Mark’s men reacted magnificently (probably because of the high standard of training that he had instilled in them.) They rapidly gave Mark first aid, suppressed the enemy with a high rate of fire (killing two of them) and extracted the patrol back to the base, carrying Mark so that he could be evacuated by helicopter.

Throughout this Mark remained conscious and with great calmness and presence of mind continued to tell his platoon what to do. I have no doubt that his actions that day will have saved lives. I understand that you have met ###, who was shot in both ankles as they made their way, under fire, out of the ambush site.

By the time Mark arrived at the hospital in Camp Bastion he had lost a great deal of blood and was critically ill. The medics did all they could to save Mark and commented on his exceptional fitness and fighting spirit which allowed Mark to make better progress initially than they had feared would be possible. It was possibly this which allowed them to Medevac Mark back to the UK and provide you with the very small consolation of being able to say goodbye.

Not only was he a truly outstanding soldier, he was also a thoughtful, charming and well-rounded young man. Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe

I gather that arrangements are already under way for Mark’s funeral and that it will be in the Guards’ chapel. On the day of the funeral the padre here will visit all of our major patrol bases and conduct a memorial service in each one. We will also keep one minute’s silence here in memory of Mark when the funeral begins in the UK.

I know that you have already met ### and ### but at this stage let me say that if there is absolutely anything that the Regiment can do to help you or if there is any further information that you require then please do not hesitate to contact ###, ###, or me, at any time.

Mark’s death was a tragic waste of a wonderful young life. Not only was he a truly outstanding soldier, he was also a thoughtful, charming and well-rounded young man. He had a wonderful sense of humour, and was an exceptionally popular and well respected member of the Officer’s Mess. He was also held in deep affection by the soldiers he commanded. I have spoken to a number of them since, including ### and it is quite clear that they feel a very deep sense of bereavement at his loss.

Mark’s death was a tragic waste of a wonderful young life. Not only was he a truly outstanding soldier, he was also a thoughtful, charming and well-rounded young man. Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe

May I once again offer you my deep condolences. I can only imagine the suffering that you must be feeling and I hope it may be some consolation if I assure you that your remarkable son will never be forgotten by his friends in the Welsh Guards. He was like a brother to many members of the Officers’ Mess, and we like you will miss him terribly. In this difficult world the way that he lived his life was an inspiration to others and we are exceptionally proud of him and all that he stood for. I am very sorry.

Yours sincerely,
Rupert Thorneloe

Channel 4 News has charted the war from patrols in the northern mountains to current bitter fighting, writes Alex Thomson
The mission since the invasion and occupation almost a decade ago now, has widened and spread beyond all recognition into de facto nation building from the new trunk road connecting the capital Kabul with Kandahar in the south - to giving Afghans the dubious benefits of voting and a bi-cameral western "democratic" model.

Not bad ambition then, for a country built upon tribal fiat and warlord muscle, valley by valley, poppy field by poppy field, alongside hefty interference with money and weapons and know-how from Iran to the west, Pakistan has the east and the former Russian republics to the north: the Great Game continues alive and well.

So down the near decade of war now, Channel 4 News has charted that stark war from the horse-mounted patrols of the British armies in the northern mountains, to the current bitter fighting across the poppy and wheat fields of southern Helmand Province. 

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