Sam Alexander (Royal Marine)
Samuel Giles William Alexander MC (16 June 1982 − 27 May 2011[1]) was a Royal Marine whose death by an improvised explosive device (IED) while on a patrol in 2011 during the War in Afghanistan received 3/4 front page as part of cover story questioning the Government's foreign policy by his journalist father in The Independent,[2] which had taken a strong stance against parts of the United Kingdom's involvement in the War on Terror.[3] Alexander's Military Cross awarded on previous tour of duty contributed to extensive national media coverage after the Ministry of Defence announcement[1] of his and his patrol leader's deaths during Operation Herrick in Helmand Province in 2011.[4][5][6][7][8][9] Their deaths were also later included in speech by MP Richard Drax in the House of Commons[10] and extensively referenced by national media as mitigating circumstances in connection with the 2013 conviction of Sgt. Alexander Blackman for murder of an injured Afghan combatant (a.k.a. 2011 Helmand Province incident) and his subsequent reduced sentence in 2017 of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.[11][12][13][14][15][16]
See also
[edit]- British Forces casualties in Afghanistan since 2001
- Operation Herrick
- 2011 Helmand Province incident
References
[edit]- ^ a b Oliver Richard Augustin and Marine Samuel Giles William Alexander MC killed in Afghanistan GOV.UK: Ministry of Defence, 29 May 2011]
- ^ Was my son's death in Afghanistan a price worth paying? Stuart Alexander, The Independent, 30 May 2011
- ^ Independent tries direct hit on rival Ciar Byrne, The Guardian, January 2003
- ^ Royal Marine killed in Afghanistan was awarded Military Cross for bravery Murray Wardrop, The Telegraph, 29 May 2011
- ^ Military Cross winner is one of two British soldiers killed in Afghanistan Chris Hughes, Daily Mirror, 29 May 2011
- ^ Marine war hero killed alongside patrol leader in Helmond Channel 4 News, 29 May 2011
- ^ Tributes paid to Royal Marines killed in Afghanistan Haroon Siddique, The Guardian, 29 May 2011
- ^ War hero and officer die in Taliban blast John Ingham, Daily Express, 30 May 2011
- ^ Funeral for Military Cross marine BBC News, 17 June 2011
- ^ Sgt Alexander Blackman (Marine A) Hansard, Volume 599: Column 339WH, 16 September 2015
- ^ Death of adored leader left marine in mood for murder Tom Coghlan, The Times, 9 November 2013,
- ^ Marine who murdered Taliban prisoner loses fight to remain anonymous Steven Morris and Richard Norton-Taylor, The Guardian, 5 December 2013
- ^ Royal Marine who murdered insurgent named as Sgt Alexander Wayne Blackman Daily Express, 5 December 2013
- ^ Marine A: How six months of 'hell' led to killing of Taliban insurgent Hayley Dixon, The Telegraph, 28 March 2017
- ^ Marines on tour from hell had a 1 in 17 chance of death or injury Sean O’Neill, The Times, 15 March 2017
- ^ Top brass were warned about ‘out of control’ Marine unit Sean O’Neill, The Times, 16 March 2017