'He gave his life for Queen and country': Mother's moving tribute to son

14 August 2021, 18:07 | Updated: 14 August 2021, 18:12

Caller remembers son 10 years on from death in Afghanistan

On the 10th anniversary of her son's death on deployment in Afghanistan, this caller moves David Lammy to the verge of tears.

Lieutenant Daniel Clack was killed by a Taliban IED in Afghanistan on 12 August 2011. His mother phoned David Lammy to reflect on the heavy coverage the conflict has seen in the media in recent months.

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"For nine years and 11 months I've dealt with it very well" Sue told David, admitting that her emotions came back up since troops have been withdrawn from the region, which spurred greater media attention.

She revealed that her son "was due to go on his R&R in a couple of days" on the day his vehicle was hit by a bomb.

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"We had his funeral on the 25th August which was the day he should have started his R&R."

David asked the caller how she felt about her son's death given the progress allied forces have had pushed back from a Taliban resurgence.

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Sue told listeners her son "never wanted to do anything else" and that he "never thought he would die."

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"It was the greatest privilege he ever had to be leading the rifles" the caller said, touching David Lammy to his core.

"I think I'll cry now" he admitted.

"I have a scroll from the queen that basically says 'he gave his life for Queen and country' and that's what it was – that's who he served," she told LBC.

Pulling out of Afghanistan 'a very serious error'

David brought the caller back to her first point: "You said it was hard at the beginning, what is the bit that's hard?"

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She said that a "niggly question" has made her question the war in Afghanistan, since media attention has turned to the conflict again.

"The last week it's that, sort of, recognition that maybe he died for nothing."

She was shocked the Government was able "to come away now and to leave Afghanistan in such a mess."

"Now it's going to be front page news again for months and that will make it very hard" Sue concluded.