Remembering the Fallen: on this day in 2008, Corporal Robert Deering from the Commando Logistic Regiment Royal Marines was killed in Afghanistan. A Viking armoured personnel carrier had been involved in an explosion west of Lashkar Gah in Helmand Province, injuring three personnel and disabling the vehicle. As Corporal Deering approached to assess the damage, a second explosion occurred which killed him instantly.

He had joined the Royal Marines in 1998, and served in Kosovo and Iraq as well as twice in Afghanistan. He is remembered as being humble and cheerful, with an infectious laugh. Colonel Andy Maynard said: “Corporal Rob Deering had the heart of a lion and the courage to match…he was no stranger to risk, but faced up to it, displaying the finest qualities of the Commando Spirit: courage, determination, unselfishness and cheerfulness. The latter, in particular, was a trait that he is remembered for as a larger than life and popular man. At work in the Commando Logistic Regiment Royal Marines, where he had spent most of his career, he was well known and had recently qualified as a Vehicle Mechanic at the most senior level. His loss has been a tremendous shock to us all in this extended family, represented by our Regiment.”

Robert, from Sheldon, Birmingham, was 33 years old and engaged to be married.