Remembering the Fallen: on this day in 2011, Sapper Elijah Bond of 35 Engineer Regiment died from wounds received two days earlier when he had been injured in a bomb blast in Afghanistan. He had been a member of a team conducting an engineer reconnaissance task in central Helmand province when he was caught up in the blast of an IED.

Enlisting in 2008, Sapper Bond completed Phase One training and Combat Engineer training before qualifying as an electrical and mechanical draughtsman, the course for which is considered complex and academically demanding. During pre-deployment training he also volunteered for the General Purpose Machine Gunners’ course and the Pashtu patrol language course, excelling at both. His friend Jayson Redshaw also served, but found it so hard to deal with the loss of Elijah that he left the army, and was subsequently diagnosed with PTSD. He wrote a song to express his feelings, and also set up a community project for former and existing servicemen:

http://veteransgarage.co.uk/ and https://www.facebook.com/veteransgaragemcr/?fref=ts One of Sapper Bond's comrades said of him: “Bondy was the life of the party, so full of fun and always bringing a smile to everyone’s face. He could always get a laugh out of anyone with his witty jokes, and he could do a like-for-like impression of many of his mates, bringing us all to tears of laughter. He was always popular with the ladies with his cheeky smile, bubbly personality and smooth talking. He was a fit, strong member of the Squadron and Troop, liked by all and loved by many; he will be missed more than he could have ever known. He was more than my friend; he was my brother, sleep well mate." Elijah, from St. Austell in Cornwall, was 24 years old.