"There is much talk about everything that is wrong with the youth of today. Martin Kinggett however exemplified everything that is right about the young people of Great Britain."
- Platoon Sergeant Jimmy Houston, 3 Platoon, A Company, 4 Rifles.
Daily Mail UK:
A soldier was shot dead after making himself a target for Taliban gunmen so his comrades could evacuate a seriously wounded colleague.
Rifleman Martin Kinggett, of A Company, 4th Battalion The Rifles, selflessly drew fire so members of his patrol could deal with the casualty.
But the 19-year-old was killed by an enemy bullet during the battle near Sangin, Helmand, on Thursday.
Last night his comrades said there was 'no doubt' he had saved lives.
Rfl Kinggett was praised as loyal and enthusiastic, and senior officers said he had found 'his calling' in Afghanistan, becoming 'a rock' to his colleagues.
His family described the teenager, from Dagenham, Essex, as 'a loving son, brother, grandson, uncle and boyfriend' and said he was 'our hero'.
Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Jones, commanding officer 4th Battalion The Rifles, said: 'It is typical of him that he fell giving covering fire while his comrades extracted a seriously injured friend in contact.
'His family who he loved so openly and talked of so frequently will be devastated at his loss, but will take great pride that he fell as he had lived, helping his friends.'
Lieutenant Colonel Nick Kitson, commanding officer 3 Rifles Battle Group said: 'Brave as a lion and selfless until the end, he fell to enemy fire while protecting the evacuation of a wounded comrade shot minutes before.'
Captain Ben Shuttleworth, second in command of A Company, said: 'In his final moments, Rifleman Kinggett placed himself in the view of the enemy so that he could return fire as the remainder of his team attempted to evacuate a wounded friend.'
Corporal Brett Campbell, section commander of 3 Platoon A Company, said: 'He showed a great deal of courage and selfless commitment when the patrol was hit, by exposing himself under fire and suppressing the enemy firing points whilst the rest of the section was dealing with the casualty. His action no doubt saved his fellow rifleman in the section.'
From a mom who's son is deployed; I wanted to say that you are a hero to those of us in the USA who have sons and daughters fighting along side of you. May your family and those who you served with know that we share in the sorrow but celebrate the life of a young man who showed such courage and devotion to his fellow mates. You are truely a hero and will never be forgotten by those whom you touched in such a short life.
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