An heroic Croydon soldier who was killed in an ambush in Afghanistan told friends he wanted to come home to see his infant son just a few weeks before his death.
Father-of-one Rifleman Danny “Simo” Simpson of the 2 Rifles died after an attack by Taliban insurgents while on foot patrol near the town of Sangin in the Helmand province on Friday.
The 20-year-old was being carried to safety after being wounded in a blast from an improvised explosive device when a second explosion killed him and his rescuer, Rifleman Joseph Murphy.
One of his oldest friends Dean Sammut, 20, who was due to start basic training with the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment (PWRR), revealed how Rifleman Simpson had posted a message on his Facebook page telling how much he hated Afghanistan.
Rifleman Simpson, a doting father to eight-month-old son Alfie and a talented footballer, had been in Afghanistan since March and posted the message in May.
Mr Sammut, who decided to drop out after seeing the message, said: “Danny was the biggest character I had ever met. He was so outgoing, he could always make you laugh, even in the worst situations.
“He came around to see me two days before he was leaving for Afghanistan because I was due to start training myself.
"We chatted about the Army and he showed me all the pictures he had of his son on his phone – he really loved him.
“The Army just wasn’t for me but it was Danny’s Facebook status that made me leave. It said he hated Afghanistan and wanted to come home and see his son.”
Rifleman Simpson's body was flown back to the UK on Tuesday along with seven other soldiers who died last week.
Thousands of people lined the streets as the coffins were led in a procession through Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, after the dead soldiers’ bodies were flown home to RAF Lyneham.
In a statement Rifleman Simpson’s family, who live in Shirley, wrote: “Daniel was a larger than life character, sometimes a bit of a handful and always full of surprises.
“A strong team player who was fiercely loyal to his friends and could be relied on to be there whenever he was needed.
“Danny, as he is known to his family, leaves behind a son Alfie, a younger brother Lee, an older brother Jimmy and parents Debbie and Robert Simpson. The world will be a quieter place without Danny."
Leader of the council and Shirley councillor, Mike Fisher, said: “I offer my sincerest condolences and sympathies to the family and friends of Rifleman Simpson. Danny Simpson’s death brings the conflict and the war in Afghanistan to our doors in Croydon.
“This is, unfortunately, the price we pay for the magnificent job our armed services are doing and we should be very proud and remember the sacrifices made by these young men.
Lieutenant Colonel Rob Thomson MBE, commanding officer 2 Rifles Battle Group, said: “One of my south London geezers, Rifleman Simpson was a classic Rifleman – hardy, determined and full of fun.
“His first inclination was always to look out for others. His sense of fun permeated all that he did and his stated intent was to be Regimental Sergeant Major one day. It was a wholly appropriate dream.
“He leaves a desperately big hole in our lives.”
q Tributes to a hero – page 4.
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