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| Dead bomb disposal expert named | Dead bomb disposal expert named |
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| A British bomb disposal expert who died on New Year's Eve after being caught in an explosion in Afghanistan has been named as Sapper David Watson. | A British bomb disposal expert who died on New Year's Eve after being caught in an explosion in Afghanistan has been named as Sapper David Watson. |
| The soldier from 33 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) was on his first operational tour when he was fatally wounded in a blast in Helmand. | |
| His family said Sapper Watson, who was based at Carver Barracks in Wimbish, Essex, had been "living his dream". | |
| In all, 245 UK service personnel have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001. | In all, 245 UK service personnel have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001. |
| In a statement, Sapper Watson's family said: "He always managed to achieve above and beyond the goals that he set for himself, often going that extra mile to achieve beyond the bounds of what was expected of him. | |
| "He lived his dream and did what a true soldier is ready to do for his country, a true hero." | "He lived his dream and did what a true soldier is ready to do for his country, a true hero." |
| Lt Col Gareth Bex, commanding officer of the counter-IED task force, described Sapper Watson as "the epitome of a warrior: fearless, ruthlessly determined and a great team player". | |
| "An immensely proud parachute and commando trained soldier, he was highly respected by his peers; they looked up to him with the deference that individuals of his sheer quality warrant," he added. |