The William Aldridge Foundation

Tribute to Herefordshire soldier, Rifleman William Aldridge

8:30am Tuesday 19th July 2011

A MAJOR has paid tribute to a teenage soldier from Herefordshire whose death marks a grim milestone in Afghanistan.

Rifleman William Aldridge was the youngest of eight British soldiers who died within 24 hours in Helmand on July 10, 2009.

The 18-year-old from Bredenbury was helping victims of a blast in Sangin when he was fatally injured from another explosion.

Rfn Aldridge was one of five soldiers to die in the incident, another three were killed within 24 hours elsewhere.

Army officials marked the second anniversary of the tragedy with a two minute silence at the memorial plaque at Lashkar Gah.

Major Alastair Macartney of the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team laid a Willam Aldridge Foundation wristband on the memorial.

He knows William’s mother, Lucy Aldridge, through her tireless charity work “It was a difficult and emotional experience but also a fitting tribute for both the servicemen and their families,”

said the major.

“Later this month I will travel to Sangin to see for myself the stability that has been brought to the area.

“They did not die in vain and they will not be forgotten.”

The anniversary coincides with claims that phones of grieving military families may have been hacked by the News of the World. Miss Aldridge doesn’t know if she was targeted but condemned the practice, calling it “professional grief-mongering”.

“The anniversaries are tough enough to deal with without this kind of media coverage,”

said Miss Aldridge.

“There has been far too much negative and counterproductive reporting surrounding bereaved families.”

www.herefordtimes.com/news/local/9137813...an_William_Aldridge/

cried my eyes out reading this, just shows their sacrifice will never be forgotten! xxx