"Suicides" and "accidents" - The official RI thread

[semper occultus]

Suicide riddle of weapons expert who worked with David Kelly

Scientist tells wife he is going for a walk, then takes his life in a field... just like his friend

Body of Dr Richard Holmes discovered in a field four miles from the Porton Down defence establishment

Police said there were no suspicious circumstances in latest case but revealed scientist was 'under a great deal of stress'

He resigned from Porton Down last month, but it is unclear why

By Nick Constable and Ian Gallagher
PUBLISHED: 22:58, 21 April 2012 | UPDATED: 23:45, 21 April 2012

www.dailymail.co.uk

A weapons expert who worked with Dr David Kelly at the Government’s secret chemical warfare laboratory has been found dead in an apparent suicide.
In circumstances strongly reminiscent of Dr Kelly’s own mysterious death nine years ago, the body of Dr Richard Holmes was discovered in a field four miles from the Porton Down defence establishment in Wiltshire. It is not yet known how he died.
Mr Holmes, 48, had gone missing two days earlier after telling his wife he was going out for a walk – just as Dr Kelly did before he was found dead at an Oxfordshire beauty spot in July 2003.


'Stressed': The cause of Richard Holmes's (left) death is still unknown.

Police said there were no suspicious circumstances in the latest case but revealed that Dr Holmes had ‘recently been under a great deal of stress’.
He resigned from Porton Down last month, although the centre yesterday refused to explain why.
Inevitably, the parallels between the two cases will arouse the suspicions of conspiracy theorists.
Despite Lord Hutton’s ruling eight years ago that Dr Kelly committed suicide, many people – among them a group of doctors – believe his inquiry was insufficient and have demanded a full inquest.
Some believe Dr Kelly, who kept an office at Porton Down right up until his death, was murdered. He was outed as being the source of a BBC report that Downing Street ‘sexed up’ evidence of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction to justify going to war.

Although it is not clear if the two scientists were close, one source told The Mail on Sunday that they were friendly when they worked at Porton Down in the Nineties.
At the time, Dr Holmes ran a project organising the installation of chemical protection equipment in RAF Sentinel spy planes, while Dr Kelly was head of microbiology and frequently toured the former Soviet Union as a weapons inspector.
After the first Gulf War, Dr Holmes is also thought to have worked on the production of chemical protection suits for troops. In 1991 he was the joint author of a scientific paper about an RAF chemical and biological protection system.
Yesterday, a Porton Down spokesman confirmed Dr Holmes had quit his job but declined to comment further. ‘It is not our policy to speak openly about any individual who works for us,’ she said.


Riddle: The Porton Down establishment, where Dr Holmes had recently resigned from his post

Before finding his body, Wiltshire Police made a public appeal for information but warned people not to approach Dr Holmes for their own safety because they believed he had been ‘looking at information on the internet regarding self-harm and the use of toxic substances’.
Friends of Dr Holmes say this disclosure irritated his family, who questioned why a scientist engaged in chemical warfare research would ‘need to Google toxic substances’.
Dr Holmes’s widow, Susan, is a chemist who also works at Porton Down as head of business administration.
One of the Government’s most sensitive and secretive military facilities, the site has long been the focus of controversy.
Three years ago hundreds of ex-servicemen who were used as chemical warfare guinea pigs there between 1939 and 1989 were given compensation and an apology from the Ministry of Defence.

They were tested with the nerve agent sarin, but some of those involved claimed they had been told they were taking part in cold-remedy trials.
Many suffered serious illnesses after exposure to the gas, which was developed by the Nazis during the Second World War.
An inquest into Dr Holmes’s death was opened and adjourned by Wiltshire Coroner David Ridley last week. Coroner’s officer Paul Tranter said Dr Holmes’s family had grown concerned for his wellbeing after he failed to return from a walk on April 11.
A search party involving police and members of the other emergency services began combing waste ground close to his home in the Bishopsdown area of Salisbury.
Police discovered his body half a mile away in a field used regularly by dog-walkers and joggers in the village of Laverstock.
Mr Tranter said the results of tests carried out to establish the cause of death would not be known for several weeks.
He added: ‘Police do not consider this death to be suspicious in any way, nor do they believe there was any third-party involvement.’

[Hugh Manatee Wins]

Dr. Holmes of
Porton Downs?

That explains the last two Sherlock Holmes movies
starring Robert Downey, Jr.
...produced by Susan Downey.

This death was imminent and the David Kelly death would be revived.

[Nordic]

Oh Hugh, for GODS sake.

Ignoring that nonsense, this occurrence deserves a thread of its own IMO.

[Spiro C. Thiery]

Former Libyan oil chief Shukri Ghanem found dead in the Danube river in Austria

LIBYA'S former oil minister, who last year announced he was abandoning Muammar Gaddafi's regime to support the rebels who ultimately toppled him, has been found dead in a section of the Danube river flowing through Vienna, Austrian police say.

Police spokesman Roman Hahslinger said the corpse of 69-year-old Shukri Ghanem was found floating in the river early in the morning. He said the body showed no external signs of violence.

The cause of death was not immediately clear, Mr Hahslinger said. Officials will carry out an autopsy in the coming days.

"There would be no signs of violence if someone pushed him in," Mr Hahslinger said. "But it's also possible that he became ill and fell into the water."

Mr Ghanem was dressed normally when found in the river but had no personal identification on him other than a document that named the company he was working for, Mr Hahslinger said. An employee of the company was subsequently contacted and identified him, the police spokesman said.
Rec Coverage 28 Day pass

Mr Hahslinger said Mr Ghanem apparently left his residence early on Sunday morning after spending Saturday evening at home with an acquaintance.

Police were alerted by a passerby who saw his body floating near his Vienna residence, close to the modernistic building housing UN agencies in the Austrian capital.

Mr Ghanem is a former Libyan premier who served as his country's oil minister until 2011. He left Libya for Tunisia and then Europe in June as insurgents were pushing to topple Gaddafi, and he subsequently announced he would support the rebels.

Reporters covering the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries remembered Mr Ghanem as a friendly and approachable man who readily gave his mobile phone number to selected journalists covering OPEC ministerial meetings and gracefully took even late-evening calls from them.

With advanced degrees in law and economics, Mr Ghanem served in senior positions within the Vienna-based OPEC before his appointment as Libyan prime minister in June 2003 - an office he held until 2006, when he took the oil ministry portfolio.

Considered a member of Gaddafi's inner circle until his defection, he insisted Libya bore no responsibility for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people.

He also repudiated Libyan responsibility in the 1984 shooting death of British constable Yvonne Fletcher during a protest in front of his country's embassy - an incident that led to the severing of British-Libyan relations.

He continued to live in Vienna after Gaddafi was ousted and later killed last year in the NATO-backed rebel campaign.

[Rory]

Dr. Holmes of
Porton Downs?

That explains the last two Sherlock Holmes movies
starring Robert Downey, Jr.
...produced by Susan Downey.

This death was imminent and the David Kelly death would be revived.

You're fishing, right? I mean, you are having a little bit of ironic and self referential humor and not actually serious in this instance?

[Bruce Dazzling]

Breitbart Coroner Turns Up Dead, Arsenic Poisoning Suspected
Patrick Henningsen
Infowars.com
April 30, 2012

Veteran Los Angeles coroner forensic technican Michael Cormier had died, apparently due to arsenic poisoning. The 61 year old Cormier was discovered dead on April 20th - the same day the city officials had released their preliminary autopsy report on the death of conservative media powerhouse Andrew Breitbart.

According to early reports, Michael Cormier was “seemingly healthy,” yet “suddenly stricken” with a fatal condition – just like Andrew Breitbart.

It’s the latest twist in the case of Andrew Breitbart’s untimely death that will surely fuel increased speculation into possible foul play - in both cases.

The sluggish release of the Breitbart autopsy follows the unorthodox, rushed announcement by city authorities at the time of Breitbart’s death that he had died of ‘natural causes’ on March 1, 2012 at the age of 43.

The timing of Breitbart’s death came on the eve of a few highly anticipated events. Firstly, he had announced that he would be releasing rare ‘game changing’, rather damning video footage of President Obama allegedly cavorting with communist activists years earlier. Some footage was released in the days after his death, but it is not believed to be material that would change the corse of the 2012 election as Breitbart had indicated beforehand. He was also due to reveal his new Breitbart.com format, and had met only one before his death with Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Cold Case Posse team in Phoenix in relation to Obama’s forged PDF birth certificate and forged US Selective Service registration card.

The LA County Coroner’s office announced in their preliminary report that Breitbart had died of heart failure, and that a negligible amount of alcohol was found in his system. No prescription or illicit drugs were discovered at any point during the autopsy. The final, definitive medical explaination on Breitbart’s death has yet to be made public.

Coroner Michael Cormier’s mysterious death was first reported by KTLA TV reporter Elizabeth Espinosa explaining how city detectives were investigating a possible ‘arsenic poisoning’ in the case. This report was later picked up and reported in an LA Times Local blog:

“The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that finding the presence of poison does not necessarily mean the death was a homicide, because the substance could have accidentally entered his system.”

“At this point we haven’t ruled out foul play,” said Lt. Alan Hamilton of the Los Angeles Police Department. “It is one of the things being considered. We are waiting for the coroner’s results.”

A toxicology report is expected to be released sometime between May 25th and June 1st.

==

http://www.infowars.com/breitbart-coron ... -released/

Poisoning suspected in sudden death of coroner's official

He spent his life trying to determine how people died. But now his colleagues are searching for answers after he died under mysterious circumstances.

Los Angeles police detectives, with the help of the Los Angeles County coroner's office, are investigating the death of Michael Cormier. Officials said he might have died of poisoning, but they have not provided further information.

Cormier, 61, died last week after being taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank from his North Hollywood home. Earlier he had complained of pain and vomiting.

Hospital staff notified police about concerns surrounding the cause of Cormier's death.

"At this point we haven't ruled out foul play," said Lt. Alan Hamilton of the Los Angeles Police Department. "It is one of the things being considered. We are waiting for the coroner's results."

Ed Winter, deputy chief coroner, said that Cormier's autopsy has been performed but that a cause of death has been deferred pending further tests.

Investigators have also interviewed his family and friends. Messages left at the home Friday went unanswered.

Authorities have examined Cormier's Auckland Avenue home for clues to the cause of his death. Sources said several hazardous materials experts and officers searched the small home looking for clues.

The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that finding the presence of poison does not necessarily mean the death was a homicide, because the substance could have accidentally entered his system.

Hamilton cautions that such investigations are standard practice when there is even a suggestion of anything other than natural causes.

It unclear if the death could also be related to his work or hobbies.

Cormier, who also worked as a coroner's photographer, registered MAC Autopsy Services as a small business at the home.

[MinM]

Although I grew up in the heyday of Sesame Street (early 1970s), I don't recall "Roosevelt Franklin" -- IanEye ("I & I"? Bob Marley?) has done me a service by shocking me into awareness on this matter. Does Roosevelt Franklin still exist?

Until Joe H. mentioned it, I was also unaware of "The Magic Pudding." I looked it up, expecting a hallucinogenic reference. Hmmm. Hasn't been keyword hijacked yet?

Fictional heroes:

Atticus Finch

Nancy Thompson

Alexander Cutter and Richard Bone

Sherlock Holmes

Hamlet

Additional personal heroes:

Clarence Darrow

Evo Morales

Peter Garrett

Huey Long

Dennis Kucinich

John Steinbeck

Louis Tackwood, the real hero of Watergate

Gary Webb

Alan J. Pakula

Peter Weir

Salvador Allende

Special mention:

Frank Serpico, when asked by Al Pacino why he became a whistleblower on the NYPD (and was subsequently shot in the face for his trouble), Serpico told Pacino: "Well, Al, I don't know. I guess I would have to say it would be because ... if I didn't, who would I be when I listened to a piece of music?"

viewtopic.php?p=163489#p163489

Alan J. Pakula

Alan Jay Pakula (April 7, 1928 – November 19, 1998) was an American film director, writer and producer noted for his contributions to the conspiracy thriller genre...

The Parallax View, All The President's Men, The Pelican Brief...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_J._Pakula

[semper occultus]

Man who plunged 100ft to his death from private members' balcony at Tate Modern was a bank manager

•Michael Foreman, 48, fell from a private members' balcony on the fifth floor of the gallery

•Inquest hears he was reported missing just the day before his death

•Mr Foreman worked as bank manager for HSBC

•Several visitors to the Edvard Munch and Damien Hirst exhibitions at the gallery witnessed fall

•Bystanders said on Twitter that they were 'traumatised'

By Suzannah Hills
PUBLISHED: 12:21, 30 July 2012 | UPDATED: 13:01, 30 July 2012
www.dailymail.co.uk

Michael Foreman, 48, died from 'multiple traumatic injuries' after plunging 100ft to his death at London's Tate Modern gallery

The man who plunged 100ft to his death at London’s Tate Modern gallery in front of horrified onlookers was a HSBC bank manager, it was revealed today.

Michael Foreman, 48, was reported missing the day before he fell from a private members' balcony on the fifth floor of the gallery just before 6pm last Tuesday evening.

An inquest was today opened into his death at Southwark Coroner’s Court after Mr Foreman was formally identified by his wife following the incident.
His death - caused by 'multiple traumatic injuries' - was deemed non suspicious, the court heard.

The hearing was told: 'On July 23rd he was reported missing to Essex Police. On July 24th he was witnessed to jump from the fifth floor members bar area of the Tate Modern. He was taken to St Thomas Hospital.'

Coroner Dr Andrew Harris was told Mr Foreman, who lived with his wife Janet in Essex, was 'a senior bank manager with HSBC'

Mr Foreman’s funeral is due to take place on Friday at Corbets Tey crematorium in Upminster.
Devastated friends of the HSBC banker described him as a 'gentleman' who was 'very passionate' about his hobby, playing trombone in brass bands.

His friends revealed Mr Foreman's death was a case of 'history repeating itself' as Mr Foreman's brother, who had also worked for HSBC, died in tragic circumstances after going for a swim and suffering a heart attack aged just 24.

Mr Morris, who also plays trombone, added: 'He had a good job in the City and was always flying to Hong Kong so it makes you think what was going through his mind when he died.



'I've known him for many years as we played for 50 years for the Aveley band. He was a quiet man, but very passionate about the trombone.
'He was very business-like and not very sociable. He was always very well-suited and always a gentleman.
'It's very sad news and I just can't believe it.

'He had a brother who used to work for HSBC too, but he tragically died years ago. 'He went for a swim and had a heart attack. He was 24 when he died and they were both very close.'

Mr Foreman from the terrace of a bar and restaurant area as tourists picnicking by the Thames in the late afternoon sun watched in shock.
It was a busy period for the gallery with shows by hugely popular artists Damien Hirst and Edvard Munch taking place.

Elodie Soetaert, 25, an account manager for We Are Social, said: 'We arrived just after and saw police and police tape everywhere. The body was covered in tarpaulin and the police had put screens up so we couldn’t see it.

'It was really shocking. Some people had been playing music and when they stopped it was silent.
'I’d gone for drinks with my friends and I’m happy I arrived after he had fallen because I wouldn’t have wanted to see that.'

One Tate employee, who did not want to be named, said: 'I was just finishing my shift when I heard what had happened.
'As I was walking out of the building I saw him on the ground.
'It was horrible. I didn't stop to look at any more. Everybody is so shocked. Nobody is even speaking about it today.'

A cyclist who saw a man plunge to his death returned to the gallery yesterday to leave a bunch of flowers at the spot where he died.
The man, who would not give his name, said he did not know the victim, as he laid a bunch of pink lilies outside just after 4pm.
Looking visibly upset, he said: 'I was on the balcony of the espresso bar when it happened, which is two floors below where he fell.
'I didn't see or hear anything beforehand I just saw him fall and hit the ground.
'It was awful. It was one of the most shocking things I've ever seen.'

Shocked onlookers took to the internet to describe the tragic incident.
@CathHannahx wrote on Twitter: ‘Seeing the guy who had committed suicide and jumped off the Tate modern has been the most traumatic thing I have seen.’
Some onlookers at first thought it was 'a staged flash mob thing' and took photographs, tweeted @salmasaid.
Another user, @afbsutherland, said: 'Weird day at Tate modern. Sehgal was amazing, the possible suicide outside was pretty awful. Hope it wasn't as bad as it looked.'
A spokesman for the museum said: 'Our deepest sympathies go to his family.’
This is not the first time the gallery has encountered tragedy.
In 2007, lawyer Matthew Courtney, 27, plunged 80ft down a stairwell leading to the art gallery’s seventh floor restaurant in a tragic accident.

this is ofcourse the same HSBC as :

HSBC sets aside $700m for money-laundering fines

Bank apologises for 'shameful' systems failures that allowed it to launder money for terrorists and drug barons

Jill Treanor, City editor
Monday 30 July 2012 11.03 BST
guardian.co.uk

...at this rate one could start to worry if we're heading for a global banker shortage...


British banker dies in fall from rooftop bar at luxury hotel 10 Apr 2011

http://rigorousintuition.ca/board2/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=31740

'Death by hooker': Sacked City banker paid two escorts to taunt him before he hanged himself 14 Aug 2010

http://rigorousintuition.ca/board2/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=29175

Former Silverado S&L CEO 'jumps' to death in Florida 15 Apr 2009

http://rigorousintuition.ca/board2/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=23603


Banker Billionaire and Real Estate Suicides Growing 07 Jan 2009

http://rigorousintuition.ca/board2/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=22292

Julius Baer CEO: "Commits suicide"? 05 Dec 2008

http://rigorousintuition.ca/board2/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=21804

Investment Banker jumps in front of train--suicide 29 Sep 2008

http://rigorousintuition.ca/board2/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=20569

Facing Jail, Banker Leaps to Death 05 Nov 2007

http://rigorousintuition.ca/board2/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=14363

Blair banker friend falls to his death 21 Aug 2007

http://rigorousintuition.ca/board2/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=12918

Banker in food scandal is found dead after Opus Dei meeting 22 Jul 2006

http://rigorousintuition.ca/board2/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=2038


Murdered Banker's Brother Found Dead With Stab Wounds 04 Apr 2066

http://rigorousintuition.ca/board2/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=2005


Yet another dead banker story 04 Aug 2005

http://rigorousintuition.ca/board2/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=1891


Another banker drops dead: ex-ECB CEO Duisenberg 01 Aug 2005

http://rigorousintuition.ca/board2/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=1890


Ex-Citigroup banker Zankel dead in fall 31 Jul 2005

http://rigorousintuition.ca/board2/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=1888

[AhabsOtherLeg]

You've done great work on this thread Semper, just wanted to say that. I need to find out more on that Richard Holmes case.

[anothershamus]

Something about the going out so publicly at the Tate,

Death imitates art.

[2012 Countdown]

semper occultus, that maybe deserves an OP.
Whistleblower? Knew too much? Outlived usefulness? Traitor to the cause?
Related?

UPDATE 4-Shamed HSBC takes $2 bln hit for U.S., UK scandals

Mon Jul 30, 2012 11:19am EDT

* $700 mln provision for U.S. anti-money laundering failures

* Cost of U.S. fine, charges may be "significantly higher" -CEO

* $1.3 billion set aside to compensate UK customers for mis-selling

* Shares up 1.9 percent

By Steve Slater and Matt Scuffham

LONDON, July 30 (Reuters) - Revelations of lax anti-money laundering controls at HSBC are "shameful and embarrassing" for Europe's biggest bank, its boss said on Monday, and it may have to pay out well over $2 billion for the scandal and in compensation for UK mis-selling.

HSBC set aside $700 million to cover fines and other costs after a U.S. Senate report criticised it this month for letting clients shift funds from dangerous and secretive countries, notably Mexico.

Chief Executive Stuart Gulliver told reporters the ultimate cost could be "significantly higher".

-
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/ ... EC20120730

[semper occultus]

......thnks ahab & yes indeed odd co-incidence to say the least....the LaRouche contingent must be lapping it up...

also he ".....was reported missing the day before he fell from a private members' balcony on the fifth floor of the gallery just before 6pm last Tuesday evening..."

...interesting to know what the fellow was up to over those 2 days....

....its not even clear if he was actually witnessed actively climbing off this balcony or just in the act of falling....

[semper occultus]

Businesswoman in her 30s plunges 80ft to her death from top City restaurant that has become a suicide spot for bankers

•Three people have now plummeted from the top of Sir Terence Conran's restaurant

•Woman reportedly had a sip of wine and then toppled over edge of French eaterie

By Anna Edwards
PUBLISHED: 13:25, 5 September 2012 | UPDATED: 13:38, 5 September 2012

www.dailymail.co.uk

A businesswoman plummeted 80ft to her death from an exclusive open air restaurant on the roof of an office building in London last night.
The smartly dressed Asian woman fell eight storeys from the top of Sir Terence Conran's restaurant Coq D’Argent at 6.30pm, landing in front of hundreds of commuters outside Bank station.
Eyewitness said she took a sip of wine from her glass on the outdoor terrace in the City, before putting her handbag on the floor and then toppling over the edge of the restaurant.



Passers-by and paramedics tried to revive her, but she was pronounced dead. The victim was described as smartly-dressed although she was wearing a jumper, trousers and trainers.
Police arrived and diners then had to leave the Coq d’Argent French restaurant.

A diner at the restaurant told the Evening Standard that people had been chatting and eating when the woman toppled over the side.
He said: 'All of a sudden the restaurant went quiet and a staff member said we had to leave. It was extremely eerie.'



It is the third death to have occurred at the restaurant, which stands at the top of a building used by the firm Aviva Investments.

In May 2007, City employee Richard Ford, 33, died after he plunged from the terrace and landed on a bus.

In July 2009, stockbroker Anjool Malde, 24, leaped to his death from the venue holding a glass of champagne after being suspended from his job at Deutsche Bank.

One onlooker who works in the City posted a message on Twitter saying: 'My heart has never beat so deep and fast in all my life. People were crying their eyes out. She landed 20 metres in front of me.
'I just can’t believe how close I was to the whole thing, I don’t think this City life is for me. I mean how bad can things have been 4 her?
'Absolutely numb, just in shock. Can’t get the image out of my mind. I don’t want to end up like her. That city square mile sucks the life out of you.'
A City of London Police spokesman said: 'At approximately 18.30 a woman was seen to fall from a building in Poultry. She was pronounced dead at the scene.'
David Loewie, managing director of D&D London, which owns Coq d’Argent, said: 'It is a very sad case, but we cannot comment further as a police investigation is under way.'
Coq d’Argent serves classic French food at its rooftop restaurant which lies in formal gardens with panoramic views across the City.

...may be just me but is there some sort of Moloch-type thing going on in the garden layout in that 2nd pic...

[semper occultus]

...why does this bloke remind me of Gareth Williams......why would someone volunteering for 3 tours suddenley go suicidal....

Army captain who died in 'suspected suicide' in Camp Bastion was 'unbelievably clever' and had a first-class degree from Oxford University

Captain James Townley, 29, from the Corps of Royal Engineers, died from wounds sustained while serving at forward operating base Shawqat

Mod said his death was not thought to be the result of hostile action

He was awarded a first-class degree in engineering and computer science from University College, Oxford

He was one of two British soldiers to die in suspected suicides last Friday

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED:18:12, 24 September 2012| UPDATED: 19:36, 24 September 2012

A soldier who is believed to have committed suicide in Afghanistan earned a first class degree from Oxford University and was described by his commanding officer as 'unbelievably clever'.

Captain James Townley, 29, from the Corps of Royal Engineers, died in Camp Bastion, Helmand Province, in southern Afghanistan from wounds sustained while serving at forward operating base Shawqat on Friday.

The Ministry of Defence said Captain Townley’s death was not thought to be the result of hostile action, though an investigation into the circumstances was continuing.


Captain James Townley, 29, from the Corps of Royal Engineers
was killed serving in Afghanistan. His death is not believed to be the result of hostile action

He was one of two British soldiers who died in suspected suicides last Friday taking the number of British fatalities for the week to four.

Capt Townley, who was awarded a first-class degree in engineering and computer science from University College, Oxford, worked as a tax associate for Pricewaterhouse Coopers before attending the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in January 2007.

Lieutenant Col Chas Story, commanding officer, 28 Engineer Regiment, said: 'James was an exceptional officer, a great character and unbelievably clever.

'The Regiment is devastated that such a bright light has gone out - everyone knew him and it was impossible not to be drawn in by his passion and humour.

'He was on his third tour of Afghanistan and a volunteer for all three. He joined to be a soldier and he was determined to make the most of all the opportunities he could.
'The regiment will be a poorer place without James.

'In this painful time our thoughts remain with his family, his girlfriend Helen and all his friends.

'He was an outstanding individual and throughout his life he has made a massive difference to all those he encountered. He will never be forgotten.'

Earlier Capt Townley's family described him as their 'guardian angel' and 'hero'.

Capt Townley’s death comes after 38-year-old Sergeant Jonathan Kups, of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, (Reme) died on Friday at Camp Bastion.

The MoD said the death of Sgt Kups, who was from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, was also not thought to be the result of hostile action, but that an investigation into the circumstances was continuing.

Capt Townley, who was born in Tunbridge Wells and grew up near Glastonbury, in Somerset, leaves parents Peter and Jacqui, his brother Nick, and girlfriend Helen.

Described as an avid sportsman who enjoyed a wide variety of sports including skiing, mountain biking, kite surfing, sailing and rowing, he was due to have turned 30 years old on Saturday.


He was deployed to Afghanistan on September 5 with 4 Armoured Engineer Squadron, 21 Engineer Regiment and was based in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand Province as the battle group engineer supporting 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment.


Upon arrival, he immediately immersed himself in operations that directly supported the transition to Afghan-led security, providing specialist advice on engineer tasks and capabilities, the MoD said, and quickly established himself as a 'professional and charismatic' officer.

Lieutenant Colonel Jack Nicholson, commanding officer, 21 Engineer Regiment, said: 'Captain James Townley was an enthusiastic, professional and extremely likeable young officer who made friends easily.

The deaths of Capt Townley and Sgt Kups bring the total number of members of UK forces to have died since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001 to 432.

[Seamus OBlimey]

Oops.. three in row..

25 September 2012 Last updated at 11:28

Marine death in Afghanistan 'of natural causes'

A Royal Marine commando has died of what is believed to be natural causes while on duty in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence says.

The marine, who has not yet been named, died on Monday and his next of kin have been informed.

An MoD spokesman said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time."

His death brings to 433 the number of British service personnel who have died in Afghanistan since 2001.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-19712684

Full List for perspective.