Iraq veteran from Yorkshire honours his fallen friend John Nightingale at service to mark end of war

Now to Guiseley's Alex Daniels, who served in Iraq, he remembers his good friend John Nightingale who was killed just as he was due to fly home.

As today marks 15 years since the end of the Iraq War, he will join 1,200 veterans at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA).

“I’m proud I served with the military, but the sadness that John never came home to see his family is something that will always stay with me," he said.

“I feel it’s so important that the Royal British Legion (RBL) is marking this anniversary. People served and sacrificed, regardless of the political reasons behind the war itself.”

Reservist Lance Corporal Daniels served as a driver with 27 Regiment of the Royal Logistic Corps.

Now a married father of two, he left the Reserves in 2007 and serves today as an Inspector in West Yorkshire Police (WYP).

John Nightingale, his close friend and colleague from Leeds, had been killed in a firearms accident on the day he was due to fly home on leave in September 2003.

Born in Harrogate, the 32-year-old Reservist Sergeant had been a passionate rugby player at Otley RFU. Now his name is remembered on the Basra Wall at the NMA.

“We had dinner together the night before John’s two-week leave, and he was excited and chatting about plans for home," said Insp Daniels.

"The next morning, I was told John had been killed in an incident on camp. I was in a state of disbelief.”

Insp Daniels' work in Iraq was often dangerous, travelling through densely built-up areas around Basra. Recalling the sound of gunfire, he said: "I was always conscious that anything could happen, a military convoy being an easy target especially on tight urban streets.”

Now today marks a moment to recognise the sacrifice and service of all those who served beside him in the Iraq War. First in his thoughts will be his close friend.

“John Nightingale is buried close to where I live,” he said. “I visit occasionally and quietly remember John, his friendship, and the many lives this tragedy touched."

Of the Iraq War, he doesn’t dwell on the whys or the what ifs.

“I signed on the dotted line, as a volunteer, and there will always be things I could never know occurring in the background,” he said.

“I did what was asked of me, and I have witnessed the fear and devastation caused by Saddam Hussein who led a brutal regime in his own right.”

Across the country, 179 service personnel were to lose their lives in this conflict. All are remembered by the RBL at the NMA in Staffordshire today.

Mark Atkinson, director general at the RBL, said: “Fifteen years on from the end of Operation TELIC, we are proud to bring the Armed Forces community and the nation together to recognise and remember the service and sacrifice of all those who served in Iraq.

"Today’s event honours not only those who lost their lives, but also the families who continue to live with the lasting impact of conflict."