Marine Was Killed By Fire From Us Jet During Taliban Ambush

A Royal Marine commando was killed by friendly fire from a US navy jet in the midst of a ferocious Taliban ambush during which both the pilot and his British ground controller bypassed official procedures, a board of inquiry concluded yesterday.

Jonathan Wigley, 21, was fatally wounded on December 5 2006 during a fierce battle with Taliban fighters near Garmsir in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan.

The navy board of inquiry was published as two marines killed by a roadside bomb on Wednesday while on a patrol in their Jackal armored vehicle were named as Robert "Frank" McKibben, 32, from County Mayo in the Irish Republic and Neil Dunstan, also 32, from Bournemouth. They died at the scene near Garmsir where the marines have been fighting the Taliban since their first deployment more than two years ago. A third marine was seriously injured.

The board of inquiry into Wigley's death said the pilot of the American F18 navy jet relied on his visual sighting rather than the aircraft's instruments. His ground controller did not adapt his procedures even though he could not see the plane because of the "weight of enemy fire".

The controller, "unaware of the geographic similarities between the enemy and friendly force positions, anticipated that having attacked the target successfully three times [the pilot] knew where it was and could identify it again", the board of inquiry said.

The inquiry concluded: "Both acted in the best of intentions under very challenging conditions. The friendly fire incident was a tragic incident, which occurred in a highly-charged environment where lives were at risk."

The "most telling" statement in the inquiry came from Wigley's company sergeant major who had wanted to send a message to the aircrew of the flight after the incident. "This was never actually sent but it was going to say that it had not been a good day at the office for any of them but, had the F18s not been there, they would probably have lost far more men that day," the board's report said.

Both marines killed on Wednesday were trained as reconnaissance experts and were graduates with 42 Commando based in Plymouth, the MoD said. Dunstan had a degree in French and tourism and McKibben one in environmental science.

Dunstan was due to marry in 2010. His fiancee, Kate Miller, said: "Neil was so proud to be a marine and lived each day to the full. He was my soulmate and the love of my life."

From the small town of Westport on the west coast of Ireland, the family of McKibben said: "We are all extremely proud of our Robbie. He had very definite plans of how he wanted to live his life; he was always thoughtful, considerate and had an amazing sense of humor ... He was so full of life and was loved so much by his family and by all his friends."

The men's commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew McInerney, described McKibben as "an immensely capable man, yet his humility made him an example and inspiration to all he served with. A true commando - tough, unassuming and hugely convivial, he viewed life as a glass half-full. Regardless of the task or conditions, his 'can-do' attitude helped him and others overcome every test they encountered".

McInerney said Dunstan "possessed commando qualities in abundance. His quiet confidence and humility was an inspiration to all those who worked with him. A quiet but natural leader, his maturity and intellect made him a valued role model and mentor".