A soldier's story: The short life and violent death of Sgt Chris Hickey, 1st Battalion, the Coldstream Guards His death on Tuesday got only fleeting mentions. So Severin Carrell went in search of the man who was the 97th Briton to fall in Iraq, and found friends asking: how many more of our lads are going to die like this? Published: 23 October 2005 Life was looking up for Christopher Hickey. He had a job he loved, and family and friends who loved him. He was due to come home to Britain tomorrow after his second tour of duty with the Coldstream Guards in Iraq.
He would see Gemma, his wife of two years. He would be nipping out for a pint with his mates at his old local. After closing time, he might even get to the nearby Chinese restaurant for his favourite meal of crispy duck, soy sauce and pancakes.
But all the things young men might have been and might have done were frozen in time last Tuesday night when Chris Hickey walked into trouble on a dusty street in Basra, southern Iraq.
Recently promoted to sergeant, he was on a routine patrol, leading his 30-strong platoon through the streets of the city. Hickey pressed on ahead of his men, reconnoitring a quiet street to ensure there was no ambush. A bomb exploded. His men rushed to give Sgt Hickey first aid.
Medical workers battled to save him in a military ambulance. A helicopter was scrambled to airlift him to the British military hospital in Shaiba. During the flight, Sgt Hickey died from his injuries. He was 30 years old.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article321649.ece