From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Rupert Thorneloe
Rupert Thorneloe
Rupert Stuart Michael Thorneloe aising with the Royal Ulster Constabulary Special Branch
in South Armagh.[1][5]
Born 17 October 1969 Thorneloe was promoted to captain on 1 April 1995.[6]
Kirtlington, Oxfordshire
He switched to a special regular commission on 5 October
Died 1 July 2009(2009-07-01) (aged 39) 1995,[7] and an ordinary regular commission on 18
near Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan September 1996, electing to make the Army his perma-
Allegiance United Kingdom nent career.[8] He was appointed battalion adjutant[1]
and, on 30 September 1999, was promoted to major,[9]
Service/branch British Army and posted to Permanent Joint Headquarters, North-
wood, where he worked in intelligence analysis.[1] In
Years of 1991–2009 †
service 2002, Thorneloe studied at the Joint Service Command
and Staff College, Shrivenham, and then took command
Rank Lieutenant Colonel of a company in Bosnia. Later, in 2004, Thorneloe moved
Commands 1st Battalion Welsh Guards to HQ 1st (UK) Armoured Division as Operations Offi-
held cer.[1][5]
In 2005, as the division was due to take over the role
Battles/wars Iraq War War in Afghanistan
• Operation Panther’s Claw of Multinational Command South East, Thorneloe was
sent to Iraq ahead of the main deployment, and travelled
Awards Member of the Order of the British to Basra to begin planning for the transition to Iraqi con-
Empire
trol.[5] The Times said that the divisional commander
Lieutenant General John Cooper "looked on Thorneloe as
Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Stuart Michael Thorneloe
his right-hand man in analysing and presenting the op-
MBE (17 October 1969 – 1 July 2009) was a British Army
tions in this process".[5] On 8 September 2006, Thorneloe
officer who was killed in action on 1 July 2009 near
was appointed Member of the Order of the British Em-
Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan.
pire for his service in Iraq.[10] He became military assis-
As of July 2009, Thorneloe is the highest-ranking British
tant first to the Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Poli-
Army officer to be killed in action since Lt Col ’H’. Jones’s
cy), Major-General Andrew Stewart, and then to the Sec-
death in 1982 during the Falklands War.
retary of State for Defence, Des Browne.[1]
Thorneloe was promoted lieutenant colonel on 30
Early life and education June 2008,[11] and became Commanding Officer of his bat-
talion just before it deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 with
Thorneloe was born on 17 October 1969 at Kirtlington,
about 1,000 troops based in Helmand Province.[1]
Oxfordshire.[1] He attended Cothill House school,[citation
needed] and Radley College in Radley, near Abingdon in
Oxfordshire, and the University of Reading in Reading, Death
Berkshire.[1] Thereafter, he trained at the Royal Military
Thorneloe was killed by the Taliban in Operation Pan-
Academy Sandhurst,[1] and graduated with an MA in De-
ther’s Claw during a resupply mission when an improvised
fence Studies from King’s College London in 2002.
explosive device exploded under his BvS 10 Viking ar-
moured vehicle.[12] The explosion also killed Trooper
Military career Joshua Hammond of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment[12]
and injured six other soldiers.[13] The deaths of Thor-
On 6 September 1991, Thorneloe was commissioned as a
neloe and Hammond brought the total number of fatali-
second lieutenant on probation in the Welsh Guards on
ties of British Forces personnel in Afghanistan since 2001
a short service commission.[2][3] His commission was lat-
to 171.[13]
er confirmed and backdated to 5 August 1989, and pro-
As of July 2009, Thorneloe is the highest-ranking Bri-
moted to lieutenant with seniority from 5 August 1991.[4]
tish Army officer to be killed in action since Lt Col ’H’.
He served in Northern Ireland as a platoon commander,
Jones VC in the Falklands War, the highest-ranking to die
and company second-in-command, and also worked for a
in Afghanistan in post-colonial times,[13] and one of eight
year as an intelligence liaison officer for his regiment, li-
British Army commanding officers "killed on operations"
since 1948.[1] Across the British Armed Forces the last
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Rupert Thorneloe
commanding officer to be killed on operations was Wing [10] London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 58092. p. 12271. 8
Commander Nigel Elsdon, No. 27 Squadron RAF on 17/18 September 2006. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
January 1991, during the Gulf War.[1][14] [11] London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 58752. p. 9837. 1
Thorneloe’s death reinvigorated debate over the ad- July 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
equacy of military equipment supplied to British forces [12] ^ "Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe and
in Afghanistan, with charges focusing on the alleged lack Trooper Joshua Hammond killed in Afghanistan".
of transport helicopters, which forces troops to travel by Ministry of Defence. 2 July 2009.
land and become exposed to Taliban IED attacks, and the http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/
inadequate protection offered by Viking armoured vehi- DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/
cles against IEDs and land mines.[15] However, according LieutenantColonelRupertThorneloeAndTrooperJoshuaHammondK
to The Times’s obituary, Thorneloe himself had previously Retrieved 4 July 2009.
"dismissed suggestions that British Forces in Afghanistan [13] ^ "Tribute to ’outstanding’ soldiers". BBC News. 3
are underresourced, saying, ’The training and kit are out- July 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/
standing.’"[5] 8131698.stm. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
Thorneloe’s funeral took place on 16 July 2009. At [14] "Tornado Storm" (pdf). Flight International: p. 43.
about 11:00 BST (10:00 UTC) the hearse carrying his coffin 23–29 October 1991. http://www.flightglobal.com/
passed through Aldershot Barracks which was lined with pdfarchive/view/1991/1991%20-%202769.html.
Guardsmen. The hearse then travelled to the Guards Retrieved 6 July 2009.
Chapel at Wellington Barracks, London. The bearing par- [15] Evans, Michael (4 July 2009). "Lieutenant-Colonel
ty consisting of eight members of the Welsh Guards then Rupert Thorneloe’s death reignites equipment
shouldered the coffin and carried it into the chapel. On row". The Times (London).
his coffin were placed his scabbard, sword, cap, belt and http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/
medals along with a wreath of white roses. The service article6633266.ece. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
began at 12:45 BST, attended by the Prince of Wales, [16] "Funeral for Afghanistan officer". BBC. 2009-07-16.
Duchess of Cornwall, Des Browne, and Thorneloe’s family http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/
including his father, Major John Thorneloe.[16] 8153288.stm?ls. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
References External links
[1] ^ "Lieutenant-Colonel Rupert Thorneloe". The Daily • Thorneloe, Sally (3 July 2009). "Death of Lt Col Rupert
Telegraph (London). 3 July 2009. Thorneloe: wife’s statement". The Daily Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/ (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/
military-obituaries/army-obituaries/5735309/ newstopics/politics/defence/5730699/Death-of-Lt-
Lieutenant-Colonel-Rupert-Thorneloe.html. Col-Rupert-Thorneloe-wifes-statement.html.
Retrieved 4 July 2009. • Blair, Alexandra (6 July 2009). "Open letter to
[2] London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 52754. p. 19766. 23 Lieutenant-Colonel Rupert Thorneloe’s daughters,
December 1991. Retrieved 6 July 2009. from the daughter of a murdered officer". The Times
[3] London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 52905. p. 7380. 27 (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/
April 1992. Retrieved 6 July 2009. comment/columnists/guest_contributors/
[4] London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 53022. p. 13952. 27 article6669097.ece.
April 1992. Retrieved 6 July 2009. Persondata
[5] ^ "Lieutenant-Colonel Rupert Thorneloe:
Name Thorneloe, Rupert
Commanding Officer 1st Welsh Guards". The Times
(London). 6 July 2009. Alternative Thorneloe, Rupert Stuart Michael
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/ names (full)
obituaries/article6643665.ece. Retrieved 6 July Short descrip- British military officer
2009. tion
[6] London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 54060. p. 8192. 12 Date of birth 17 October 1969
June 1995. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
Place of birth Kirtlington, Oxfordshire
[7] London Gazette: no. 54271. p. 372. 8 January 1996.
Retrieved 6 July 2009. Date of death 1 July 2009
[8] London Gazette: no. 54610. p. 16633. 17 December Place of death Lashkar Gah, Helmand, Afghanistan
1996. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
[9] London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 55627. pp.
10608–10609. 17 December 1996. Retrieved 6 July
2009.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Rupert Thorneloe
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rupert_Thorneloe&oldid=438119408"
Categories:
• 1969 births
• 2009 deaths
• Old Radleians
• Alumni of the University of Reading
• Sandhurst graduates
• Alumni of King's College London
• British Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
• Deaths by improvised explosive device in Afghanistan
• Members of the Order of the British Empire
• Welsh Guards officers
• British Army personnel of the Iraq War
• People from Cherwell (district)
• British military personnel killed in the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
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