Officer questions helicopter shortage over sons death

By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent Published: 4:33PM GMT twenty-four February 2010

Lt Col David Stiff questioned possibly a "lack of air transport" competence have competence have been a cause in the genocide of his son Corporal Graeme Stiff who was blown up whilst escorting a commander in chief to a meeting.

His father usually not long ago became wakeful that the procession of 4 Jackal vehicles had set out to ride an military officer for a assembly eight miles from their base.

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Lt Col Stiff, who serves with the Defence School of Transport in Hull, asked Major Charles Waggett, his sons armed military craft commander, if he was ever offering a moody instead of the potentially dangerous highway move.

"I ask that since until not long ago I insincere the unit that you were carrying out was possibly reconnoitering or force protection, afterwards subsequently detected it was receiving you to a meeting. So was air await ever offered?"

Major Waggett replied: "No it was not. We would usually ever be since air benefit if there was something of a higher priority level."

He added: "I"m a low priority in the extended intrigue of things. Of course, in an preferred universe aviation would be the most suitable means."

Until not long ago the British bid in Helmand has been hamstrung by a helicopter necessity that was highlighted last year by the Commons Defence Committee.

The inquisition listened that the explosve - expected to have been a blurb 10kg anti-tank cave rather than a homemade device - detonated underneath the Jackal"s front, right side tyre. Cpl Stiff, twenty-four and Cpl Dean John, 25, both of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, were killed but an additional infantryman survived the conflict in the Garmsir district of Helmand.

Safety concerns have been lifted over the off-road Jackal vehilce following a series of five deaths in five months when it was introduced in 2008. Some of these have been addressed with the key of Jackal 2 nonetheless the inquisition did not examine the issue.

Before Coroner David Ridley late to cruise his verdict, Cpl Stiff"s father once again lifted the issue of air support.

He said: "I theory I"m wondering possibly it"s suitable in your end to discuss the miss of air ride in all of this?"

But the coroner pronounced he was "not minded" to do so and after available a outcome of wrong killing.

At the time of their deaths, the dual REME soldiers were members of the Light Aid Detachment of 1st The Queen"s Dragoon Guards (QDG).

Cpl John left at the back of his mother Wendy and their 3 sons.

Lt Col Stiff declined to criticism after the inquest.