Dales soldier Matthew Haseldin repatriated to UK (From The Westmorland Gazette)
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Dales soldier Matthew Haseldin repatriated to UK
3:32pm Thursday 10th November 2011 in Settle news
Dales soldier Matthew Haseldin repatriated to UK
A Dales soldier who had been in the Army for just a few months when he was shot dead in Afghanistan has been repatriated to the UK today.
Private Matthew Haseldin, from 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment, was killed while "standing firm" against an insurgent attack in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province.
The body of the 21-year-old, who died on November 3, was flown to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.
A private ceremony for his family was held at a purpose-built repatriation centre on the airbase before the cortege left on its way to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
Pte Haseldin, from Settle, was part of an operation to maintain freedom of movement for the local population, when the group was attacked by insurgents.
His patrol was carrying out a check when they came under sustained small arms fire and "underslung grenades during which Private Haseldin was fatally wounded", the MoD said.
