Prince Charles 'mortified' at soldier's death

Prince Charles has said he was "completely mortified" when he heard his friend, the most senior officer to be killed in Afghanistan, had died in action along with a colleague. Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, is the highest ranking Army officer to be killed in action since the Falklands War. The Prince of Wales, who is Colonel of the Welsh Guards and knew Lt Col Thorneloe very well, was "deeply saddened" by his death, a Clarence House spokesman said. Lt Col Thorneloe, of Kirtlington, near Oxford, was killed alongside 18-year-old Trooper Joshua Hammond, of 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, near Lashkar Gah in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan. General Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff, said the commanding officer was at the "leading edge of his generation"... [read full story]                    

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