MoD names two marines killed in Afghanistan

Published on Friday 28 November 2008 20:04

TWO Royal Marines killed in Afghanistan were named by the Ministry of Defence yesterday.

Tony Evans and Georgie Sparks, of 42 Commando Royal Marines, were on foot patrol north-west of Lashkar Gah in Helmand province on Thursday when they came under fire.

While on the roof of a building, they were attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and died from their injuries while being flown back to Camp Bastion by helicopter.

The deaths bring the total number of British service personnel killed in Afghanistan since the start of operations in 2001 to 128.

Marine Evans, 20, from Sunderland, joined 42 Commando in July 2007. His parents, Tony Evans and Julia Churchill, said:

We are very proud of what he achieved and will miss him dearly."

Marine Sparks, 19, from Epping, Essex, joined in 2006. His parents, Wayne and Toni, and sister Katie said: "

We are so very proud of Georgie – he always wanted to be a Royal Marine."