Anguish for lost heroes

Corporal Lee Scott

EIGHT British soldiers killed in Afghanistan during a bloody period of fighting on Thursday and Friday have been named.

Two, killed on Thursday, were Private John Brackpool, 27, of the Prince of Wales' Company, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, and Rifleman Daniel Hume, 22, of 4th Battalion The Rifles.

Corporal Jonathan Horne

Tragically, dad-of-one John would have been celebrating his 28th birthday today. The Arsenal fan from Crawley, West Sussex, was shot dead when the base he was guarding in the southern Lashkar Gah area came under ferocious attack.

His platoon commander, Lieut Dave Harris, said: "John was blessed with a happy-go-lucky attitude."

READ: SPECIAL REPORT FROM AFGHANISTAN

Rifleman Daniel Simpson

Daniel, a star mountain bike racer from Maidenhead, Berkshire, was described by comrades as "exceptionally gifted". He was killed while on foot patrol near Nad-e-Ali in Helmand Province.

His parents Wendy and Adrian said last night: "We have lost a son and a best friend."

Six further names of heroes who died on Friday were released today.

Rifleman Joseph Murphy

Corporal Jonathan Horne, Rifleman William Aldridge, Rifleman James Backhouse, Rifleman Joseph Murphy and Rifleman Daniel Simpson, from the 2nd Battalion The Rifles were killed near Sangin, Helmand province.

Corporal Lee Scott, 26, from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, died in an explosion near Nad-e-Ali.

Rifleman James Backhouse

Rifleman Murphy, from Castle Bromwich, West Midlands, Rifleman Aldridge, from Bromyard, Herefordshire, and Rifleman Backhouse, from Castleford, West Yorkshire, were aged just 18.

Several members of the group killed near Sangin died in a second explosion while helping comrades injured in a previous blast on Friday.

Proud

Rifleman William Aldridge

Rifleman Murphy was attempting to carry Rifleman Simpson, 20, from Croydon, south London, to safety after he was wounded in the first explosion.

Corporal Horne, 28, from Walsall, and Rifleman Aldridge were killed trying to help casualties from the first explosion. Rifleman Backhouse was trying to clear a route for his comrades when he died in a blast.

Private John Brackpool

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Thomson, commanding officer of the 2 Riffles Battle Group, said it had been a "grim day".

But he added: "They lived and fought alongside us and tonight our lives are much worse for them not being here. But we can celebrate what they were and what they achieved. We are so very proud of them."

Rifleman Daniel Hume

• Families engulfed by wave of grief
• Report from the frontline

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