This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jul/17/flaw-in-tank-gun-barrel-caused-two-soldiers-deaths-coroner-finds

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Flaw in tank gun barrel caused two soldiers' deaths, coroner finds Widow of soldier who died in tank explosion calls for MoD changes
(about 1 hour later)
Two soldiers fatally wounded after an explosion and fire on their tank at an army live-firing range in Wales died after a design flaw went undetected on their armoured vehicle’s gun barrel, a senior coroner concluded. The widow of one of two soldiers killed when a tank exploded during a live firing exercise in the UK has called for changes to make sure such a tragedy never happens again.
Corporals Matthew Hatfield and Darren Neilson, both of the Royal Tank Regiment (RTR), succumbed to grave injuries after an incident on their Challenger 2 at the Castlemartin ranges, Pembrokeshire, Wales, on 14 June 2017. Jemma Neilson, whose husband, Cpl Darren Neilson, was killed alongside Cpl Matthew Hatfield, called for lessons to learned and said no other British military personnel should die in training.
Louise Hunt, senior coroner for Birmingham and Solihull, said the main causewas that the gun could be fired when a key component, the bolt vent axial (BVA) which forms an air-tight seal blocking hot gases escaping into the crew turret, was missing. Neilson and Hatfield, both of the Royal Tank Regiment (RTR), suffered fatal injuries in the explosion in their Challenger 2 at the Castlemartin ranges, Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, in June last year.
The inquest on Tuesday, held at Solihull Civic Suite, was told Neilson, 31, and Hatfield, 27, were devoted family men as well as committed soldiers who had served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Senior coroner Louise Hunt said the main cause of the incident was that the tank had fired when a key component in the gun barrel called the BVA – which forms an air-tight seal – was missing. It allowed gases with an estimated temperature of 2,500C back into the tank, which is believed to have caused the ignition of explosive charges used to fire the gun.
In June last year they were taking part in a live-firing exercise on Castlemartin ranges, south-west Wales, when they were asked to provide a “guest shoot” to warrant officer Stuart Lawson, who worked at the site. He was to be given the chance to experience what it was like to be in the Challenger 2 and fire its main gun at three old tanks, nicknamed Tom, Dick and Harry, which were used as targets. The coroner said: “The main cause of this incident was the tank being able to fire without the BVA assembly being present. During production and manufacture of the gun, this hazard was not adequately considered or investigated and therefore the ability of the gun to fire without the BVA present went undetected.”
Lawson, who survived the incident, described how Neilson, the tank commander, told him: “Yeah, we’re good to go. We’re on the target. Pull the trigger”. Hunt concluded that other issues that contributed included a lack of written procedures for soldiers to follow when handling the BVA and passing on tanks to new crews.
The inquest also heard that four of tank’s high-explosive ammunition bags that propel the shell out of the tank’s barrel, were incorrectly stowed. Hunt said: “The practice of unstowed charges was routine.”
After the inquest, Ms Neilson, said health and safety should have been “world class” and called for immediate changes.
She said: “No soldier should ever be killed in training. Lessons must be learned, cultures must change and the MoD must accept failings and implement change immediately. An incident of this nature must never happen again.”
Neilson added that the coroner’s findings had ruled out any suggestion that the two “highly professional” soldiers may have been “showing off”, as one witness claimed.
Clare Stevens, of Hilary Meredith Solicitors, who represented Ms Neilson, said: “Yet again we’ve heard of systemic failings within the MoD and more evidence of a organisation which does not appear to value safety.
“This was an accident waiting to happen and the events of 14 June 2017 provided the perfect storm through a catalogue of failings.”
Hatfield’s fiancee, Jill McBride, speaking on behalf of herself and the soldier’s wife, Abi Hatfield, from whom he was separated, said a “weight has been lifted”.
She added: “It was important to us to make sure the reputation of both Matthew and Darren was protected and remained true.”
The inquest in Solihull, West Midlands, was told that the pair had been asked to provide a “guest shoot” to warrant officer Stuart Lawson, who worked at Castlemartin. He was to be given the chance to experience what it was like to be in the Challenger 2 and fire its main gun at three old tanks, nicknamed Tom, Dick and Harry, which were used as targets.
Lawson, who survived the incident, described how Neilson, the tank commander, told him: “Yeah, we’re good to go. We’re on the target. Pull the trigger.”
“I remember a really distinctive sound,” Lawson told the inquest. “It sounded like a pop and a fizz. It was like a sound you hear before a grenade goes off.”“I remember a really distinctive sound,” Lawson told the inquest. “It sounded like a pop and a fizz. It was like a sound you hear before a grenade goes off.”
Lawson suffered burns and lost fingers and an ear. Witnesses told how smoke and fire – described by one witness as looking like a fighter jet’s afterburners on take-off – poured out of the tank. Neilson, and Hatfield, the ammunition loader, suffered fatal injuries. Lawson suffered burns and lost fingers and an ear. Witnesses told how smoke and fire – described by one witness as looking like a fighter jet’s afterburners on take-off – poured out of the tank.
The inquest was told that a vital piece of equipment, the BVA assembly, had been removed from the tank barrel to be cleaned and had not been replaced before the guest shoot. It allowed gases, with an estimated temperature of 2,500C, back into the tank and may have caused the ignition of explosive charges used to fire the gun.
There was no formal way of tracking the BVA assembly, the inquest heard. Mike Rawlinson QC, who was representing Lawson, described this as “chaos”.
The inquest was also told by an RTR armourer that charges were routinely kept out of safe bins and sometimes even balanced on crew members’ laps, allowing them quick and easy access.
The men’s commanding officer, Lt Col Simon Ridgway, said he had not spotted the culture of charges being wrongly stored. Asked if it was a failure of his leadership, Ridgway, said: “I think I failed to identify it was happening. I’m not sure it’s a failure of leadership.”The men’s commanding officer, Lt Col Simon Ridgway, said he had not spotted the culture of charges being wrongly stored. Asked if it was a failure of his leadership, Ridgway, said: “I think I failed to identify it was happening. I’m not sure it’s a failure of leadership.”
He added: “I have to admit I sort of felt physically sick when I heard people were stowing them out of the bins.” After the inquest on Tuesday, ColJim Taylor, of the British army, said it had already overhauled training but would look at “what further changes need to be made”.
Ridgway told the inquest he had not appreciated he needed written authorisation from a more senior officer for the guest shoot. He added: “We are sincerely sorry for what has happened and we will do everything we can to ensure this never happens again.”
This month Captain Jonathan Price, 32, was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence over the death of a ranger, Michael Maguire, 21, at Castlemartin.
Maguire, a member of the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, was one of several soldiers who came under machine gun fire during an exercise in May 2012.
Two other officers, Lt Col Richard Bell, 45, and WO Stuart Pankhurst, 40, were convicted of negligently performing a duty. The trio are expected to be sentenced on 24 July.
At the start of the court martial, Nigel Lickley QC, prosecuting, said soldiers on one part of the range were firing directly at those in another part of the range, who were less than a mile away and would have been visible.
MilitaryMilitary
WalesWales
British armyBritish army
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content