MOURNERS paid tribute at the funeral of a bomb disposal officer who was killed in Afghanistan just weeks after shrugging off wounds and returning to the front line.

Captain Daniel Read, of 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, part of the Royal Logistic Corps, based at Didcot’s Vauxhall Barracks, was killed by a bomb at Musa Qaleh, in Helmand, on January 11.

The 31-year-old was part of a taskforce defusing improvised explosive devices placed along roads by Taliban forces.

Capt Read’s funeral took place in Cornwall today. He was the fourth member of the regiment to have died in the past 16 months.

Capt Read had returned to Afghanistan last December after being wounded in an explosion in October.

Major Kier Head, the regiment’s acting commanding officer, said: “You can pick up from that the remarkable bravery of the man, that he had seen the horrors of one of his team dying, but he wanted to go back out to make sure the rest of his team were okay. He was a really remarkable man.”

Maj Head accompanied Cpt Read’s widow Lorraine, known as Lou, to the funeral service at Truro Cathedral.

Among those attending were Capt Read’s mother Sally Webb, his father Leslie, fellow servicemen and Devon & Cornwall Police officers, colleagues of his widow, who is a serving officer.

Maj Head described Capt Read as a “soldier’s soldier” and said: “It’s such a sad day for us. Lou and he were thinking about moving house and creating a family home, so he had everything to live for.”

The funeral was followed by a private family service at a crematorium nearby.

Daved Kirby, who was best man at Capt Read’s wedding, said the soldier only loved his wife more than serving his country. He added: “He was a joker, a real character and a leader among men. I feel sorry for the people who never got to know him.”

Major Wayne Davidson, of Vauxhall Barracks, said: “The regiment is feeling the loss, but we take great strength in knowing that the job we have to do saves lives. We never forget individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“I will always remember Dan for being a character. He had a cheeky grin on his face all the time. He was courageous in the job that he did. For him to go back showed how courageous an individual he was.”

His Didcot colleague Staff Sgt Olaf Schmid was killed on the final day of a five-month tour of duty in Afghanistan last October. Capt Dan Shepherd died last July and George Medal winner Warrant Officer Gary O’Donnell was killed in September 2008.

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