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| Afghan blast captain to be buried | Afghan blast captain to be buried |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| The funeral of Captain Mark Hale, who was killed in Afghanistan, is due to take place in Hillsborough, County Down, later. | The funeral of Captain Mark Hale, who was killed in Afghanistan, is due to take place in Hillsborough, County Down, later. |
| The father-of-two was fatally wounded in Sangin, Helmand, last month. | The father-of-two was fatally wounded in Sangin, Helmand, last month. |
| Captain Hale, 42, and Rifleman Daniel Wild, 19, were caught in a blast while trying to save Lance Bombardier Matthew Hatton, 23, who had been injured in a roadside bomb. | Captain Hale, 42, and Rifleman Daniel Wild, 19, were caught in a blast while trying to save Lance Bombardier Matthew Hatton, 23, who had been injured in a roadside bomb. |
| As they carried him away they were caught in a second explosion. | As they carried him away they were caught in a second explosion. |
| Capt Hale and Rifleman Wild were both serving with the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, based at Ballykinlar in County Down. | |
| Capt Hale was originally from Bournemouth. He was married to a Bangor woman and their home was in Dromara in County Down. | |
| He has been described as "one of the outstanding soldiers of his generation." | |
| Lieutenant Colonel Rob Thomson, Commanding Officer, 2nd Battalion The Rifles, said: | |
| "It is almost impossible to know where to start when writing a tribute to a man as brave, huge and full-on as Mark Hale. | |
| "He oozed quality, humanity and had a tremendous and mischievous sense of fun, which frequently lightened the load of this extraordinary tour." | |
| He added that Capt Hale had a strong Christian faith, and even as the padre for one of the regiment's church services in Sangin. | |
| The funeral of Rifleman Wild took place in County Durham on Tuesday. | The funeral of Rifleman Wild took place in County Durham on Tuesday. |
| Hundreds of mourners paid their respects to the teenager at St Mary's Church in Horden. | Hundreds of mourners paid their respects to the teenager at St Mary's Church in Horden. |