Lance Corporal Andrew Breeze killed in Afghanistan

It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Lance Corporal Andrew Breeze from B (Malta) Company, 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire) was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday 12 June 2010.


During an operation to clear an area near to Check Point KINGSHILL in order to increase security around the military base, Lance Corporal Breeze was caught in an explosion and was killed in action.

Lance Corporal Andrew Breeze

Lance Corporal Andrew Breeze was 31 years old and from Manchester. He enlisted into the Army in February 1996 and joined 1st Battalion The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment in Ballykelly, Northern Ireland following completion of basic training.

He has served in the United Kingdom and Cyprus, and on operations three times in Northern Ireland, twice in Iraq and also in Afghanistan. He successfully completed a Junior Non-Commissioned Officers' Cadre and was duly promoted to Lance Corporal in December 2002.

He deployed to Patrol Base 1 in the Babaji area of Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan in March 2010 with B (Malta) Company, 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire) as part of the 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles Battlegroup, which forms Combined Force Nahr-e Saraj (South).

The company has been tirelessly providing stability and security to the local population whilst promoting Afghan governance and economic growth. B (Malta) Company has improved the quality of the lives of hundreds of local nationals around the villages of Enezai and Char Coucha by providing much needed security and reassurance to the Afghans.

Lance Corporal Breeze's family paid the following tribute:

"We are very proud of a brave, loving and sincere son and brother. He served for 14 years in the Armed Forces and was recognised as an excellent soldier. The Army was his life. He is going to be desperately missed by his family and his fiancée."

Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Hadfield, Commanding Officer 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire) said:

"Lance Corporal Andrew Breeze joined the 1st Battalion The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment in 1996, and during his time as a Cheshire and latterly a Mercian he deployed on six operational tours, three in Northern Ireland, two in Iraq and finally one in Afghanistan. He was killed whilst clearing an area to give increased protection to the local community and his fellow soldiers.

"A dedicated soldier and leader, he understood the risks inherent in his chosen profession, and still continuously deployed in the service of others, selflessly and courageously protecting his mates and the civilian population around him. He was a stalwart of the Battalion, and of the Javelin Platoon. Throughout his service he had been no stranger to danger, and approached his work with discipline and determination, but always with a ready smile.

"Known as ‘Windy' or ‘Breezy' to his many friends in the Battalion, it is perhaps this smile that will stick most in our minds, that and his ability to always see the good in situations and people. He was engaged to be married to Lorraine, and talked endlessly about her and his family. We are proud to say that he is one of ours and always will be, standing firm at all times, and striking hard whenever the enemy threatened.

"Another Mercian hero - we will remember him. The thoughts of the Battalion and the Regiment are with his fiancée and his family at this difficult time."

Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Strickland MBE, Commanding Officer 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles Battlegroup said:

"We have lost a fine man, and the tragedy of his death spreads far. Lance Corporal Andy Breeze was the man that every company needs; experienced and approachable, he was there for everyone, always.

"Those who have been soldiers will know the effect of such a character, spreading calm reassurance in times of tension to those who are less certain. He died as he had lived, stepping forward to shoulder the burden of the task in hand, with a smile on his face. His company mourns his loss, but feels more keenly the devastation of the loved ones that he left behind. It was an honour to have served together."