Assoluta Tranquillita: Some Gave All: Lance Corporal Jamie Webb

It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Lance Corporal Jamie Webb, of 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire), died in an ISAF Hospital in Afghanistan on 26 March 2013.

Lance Corporal Jamie Webb, 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire)(MoD picture)

Lance Corporal Webb died as a result of wounds sustained during an insurgent attack on his patrol base in the Nad ‘Ali district of Helmand province on 25 March 2013.

Lance Corporal Jamie Webb was born on 6 October 1988 in Wilmslow, and attended Wilmslow High School and Macclesfield College. He enlisted in the British Army aged 18 and joined 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment in September 2006. His first posting with B Company took him to Ballykinler, Northern Ireland on Operation Banner.

On return from Northern Ireland, Lance Corporal Webb again deployed on operations, this time to Iraq on Operation Telic 11. He spent 3 months in Iraq with B Company involved in security operations. In January 2009, Lance Corporal Webb moved from B Company to C Company where he continued to shine as an intelligent, fit and enthusiastic soldier.

Lance Corporal Webb subsequently deployed with 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (1 MERCIAN) on 2 tours of Afghanistan. On his first tour in 2010, as part of Operation Herrick 12, he served as a rifle section second-in-command in the Nahr-e Saraj area operating with the Danish battlegroup. Although he was only a private soldier at the time he undertook the role of a junior non-commissioned officer and developed a reputation for hard work, strong leadership and reliability.

As a result of his performance on operations in Afghanistan, Lance Corporal Webb was recommended for promotion and successfully completed a junior non-commissioned officer cadre in October 2011. He was immediately promoted from private to lance corporal and assumed the role of infantry section second-in-command.

Lance Corporal Webb deployed on his second tour of Afghanistan on Operation Herrick 17 in October 2012, as part of Transition Support Unit Nad ‘Ali, led by 1 MERCIAN battlegroup. Working as a Company intelligence collator and section second-in-command he displayed a sharp, analytical mind and a deep understanding of the operational environment and the Afghanistan campaign.

Lance Corporal Webb was a justifiably proud Mercian Regiment soldier; despite his young age and short time in the Army he achieved a huge amount. He deployed on 4 operational tours and developed a reputation for being a highly capable junior commander. He was an outgoing, upbeat and popular member of C Company who will be sorely missed by his brothers-in-arms. Lance Corporal Webb leaves behind his much loved parents Dave and Sue, and his close family.

Lance Corporal Webb’s family have paid the following tribute:

We are so proud of Jamie being a Mercian soldier. Jamie is loved by his dad, Dave, mum, Sue, and his close family and friends.

Lieutenant Colonel Phil Kimber MBE, Commanding Officer 1 MERCIAN, said:

A real character, a totally professional soldier and a great friend to many, Lance Corporal Webb was exactly the type of man you wanted around. Always with a smile on his face, always willing to engage in some witty and mischievous banter, he really did lift the morale of all around him.

He was also an outstanding professional; bright, engaging and hugely talented. He had an obvious gift for intelligence work, which ensured he was at the heart of all that his company did on this tour. Despite his relatively junior rank he had a huge amount of operational experience having deployed to Northern Ireland, Iraq, and twice to Afghanistan. No matter what else he did, he was an Infantry Lance Corporal at heart and as such he was a talented and inspirational junior commander.

Lance Corporal Webb was surrounded by his friends when he was injured. These friends and all in 1 Mercian Battlegroup will miss him terribly. We have lost a great soldier and a great friend. Despite our grief we are acutely aware of the indescribable loss his family will now be feeling and it is his family that our thoughts and prayers are now with....