Pte Lewis Hendry (left) and Pte Conrad Lewis (right) were both on patrol when they were shot Two British soldiers shot dead on patrol in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday have been named by the Ministry of Defence.
Pte Lewis Hendry, of 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, and Pte Conrad Lewis, of 4th Battalion The Parachute Regiment, died in small arms fire.
They had been patrolling an area in the north of Nad-e Ali district in Helmand.
The number of British military deaths on operations in Afghanistan since 2001 stands at 354.
Pte Hendry, from Norwich, died at the scene after suffering serious gunshot wounds, said the MoD.
He was three days off his 21st birthday.
His family said in a statement: “Lewis lived life to the full – and more. Words can’t describe how much he will be missed.
“He was not only a soldier, a son, brother and grandson, but a friend to all.”
Regimental Sgt Maj Richard Hames, of the 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment described Pte Hendry as “the paratrooper”, saying he was professional, motivated, with bags of confidence and a core of steel.
“He was a soldier who could be relied upon to get the job done, however big the call was,” he added.
Maj Richard Todd, officer commanding A Company, said Pte Hendry had been selected to be a patrols platoon soldier for his “bravery, selflessness, intense professionalism and a deep love of soldiering and his fellow soldiers”.
Pte Lewis, from Bournemouth, was four months into his tour of Afghanistan when his patrol came under fire. The 22-year-old died from a serious gunshot wound, the MoD said.
His family said in a statement: “It is a cliche to say that everyone loved him, but they did, from people of his own generation to adults of all generations.
“If you met Conrad you were touched by him and he made you feel good about life.”
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.