Telford family remember soldier who died in Afghanistan

They included Joanne Corfield, 38, of Telford, who lost her husband Damian Davies in December 2008, when he was killed by a suspected suicide bomber in Helmand Province.

It was an informal meeting on the steps of St Pauls Cathedral, but provided the most poignant moment of an emotional day.

The Queen was presented with a bouquet by sisters Sophie and Hannah Thorneloe, the children of the highest-ranking British officer killed on active service for more than a quarter of a century.

Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe's widow Sally was also there to share a few words with the Queen.

Earlier, Mrs Thorneloe, 43, had paid tribute to her "best friend, soul mate and hero".

Lieutenant Colonel Thorneloe died on July 1, aged 39, shortly before he was due to return home to his family in Aldershot.

She said: ''The first time I met him I was struck by his beaming smile. It lit up his face and seemed to light up everyone else's.

The end of the 13-year conflict was marked by a ceremony of commemoration at St Paul's Cathedral.

There will also be an event later this year at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Mrs Corfield said: "It was wonderful to see the nation remember the 453 who died during the 13 year campaign.

"I know a lot of widows and parents have gone down to London, but both myself and Damian's parents couldn't face going.

"We want to remember Damian, but the memories triggered inevitably bring back great sadness.

"Days like this are difficult and Remembrance Day seems to come round so quickly."

Mrs Corfield has remarried and built a new life, but said she thinks about 27-year-old Damian and talks to their seven-year-old son Matthew about him every day.

She said: "My son has had great support from Scotty's Little Soldiers, a charity that supports children who have lost a parent while serving in the British Armed Forces.

"I have also been moved by the amount of support we have had from messages posted on Facebook

"I always read what people put on there and it touches me greatly to see how much people care."

Mrs Corfield said that her husband had strong views on whether our forces should have been involved in Afghanistan or not.

She said: "We talked about it and Damian believed our involvement in Afghanistan was more important than in Iraq.

"He always believed he was helping the people of Afghanistan while he was there and that he was making a difference."

The commemoration comes after Tony Blair admitted that he had not foreseen just how long the struggle in Afghanistan would last when he first deployed troops in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

The former prime minister, who attended the service, said he believed his decision to deploy British troops in Afghanistan had been justified, although he acknowledged that families who had lost loved ones may feel differently.

He said: "I always felt that it was right and justified that we were there in Afghanistan, that we were fighting both to remove the Taliban and then to try and stabilise the country.

"But there is nothing that's really possible to say that could provide true consolation for family of someone who has lost their life."