A HUDDERSFIELD soldier’s comrades came under heavy fire as they tried to rescue him following an explosion in Afghanistan.

A coroner yesterday recorded a verdict of unlawful killing following the death of Golcar man L/Cpl Graham Shaw of 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (3 Yorks).

The 27-year-old and Cpl Liam Riley, 21, of Sheffield were killed within minutes in two separate blasts while patrolling in a field on February 1.

The dead men’s comrades described the chaotic aftermath of the explosions at Wiltshire Coroner’s Court yesterday.

Sgt Adrian Dixon, with 3 Yorks, was leading the patrol through a field in Babaji district of Helmand province.

He told the inquest: “I noticed children playing in the nearby field had disappeared. I turned around and then heard the first explosion followed by heavy gunfire.

“Everyone hit the floor and started returning fire. I started shouting ‘is everyone ok?”

Sgt Dixon was told there was a man down – L/Cpl Shaw – who was suspected to be dead.

Sgt Dixon said: “That’s when Liam came round the wall. He was told to stop and not take another step. There was a lot of gunfire, it was very confusing.

“Liam was there, weapon in hand, ready to go – that’s the kind of guy he was, he was ready to get in there and get some.

“As he came round and his left foot hit the floor, the ground erupted. At that point I couldn’t see where he landed, there was a cloud of dust.”

Major Charles Foinette, with 1 Coldstream Guards, told the inquest the soldiers were on a “ground domination and assurance” patrol around checkpoint Kingshill on February 1.

The inquest, sitting at Trowbridge Town Hall, heard the men were walking across an area of land known as “ANA field” when they stood on two separate improvised explosive devices (IEDs) shortly after 11.30am.

Maj Foinette told the inquest that he was in the operation room in Patrol Base 1, north of the checkpoint, when he heard a first explosion, followed by gunfire, followed by the second explosion. The patrol in ANA field came under heavy fire as attempts were made to recover the bodies of the two injured soldiers, Maj Foinette said.

The coroner heard that Cpl Riley was airlifted from the scene by helicopter but was confirmed dead at Camp Bastion field hospital later that day.

L/Cpl Shaw was confirmed dead at the scene so was not airlifted immediately, the inquest heard. His body was brought back to Patrol Base 1 while the group waited for a second flight.

Dr Nicholas Hunt, Home Office pathologist, gave the cause of death for both soldiers as blast injuries caused by an explosion.

L/Cpl Shaw was buried following a military funeral at St John’s Church in Golcar on February 22.

He grew up on Leymoor Road in Golcar and attended St John’s CE Junior and Infant School in Golcar and Colne Valley High School.