Killed Highlander soldier named
A SOLDIER from the The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (4 SCOTS), who was killed in Afghanistan on Monday has been named as Scott McLaren.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed he went missing from an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) checkpoint in the early hours of the morning and was later found dead following an extensive search of the area in the Helmand province.
The 20-year-old Highlander, who came from the Sighthill area of Edinburgh, had sustained gun shot wounds.
The day before he went missing, Highlander McLaren and colleagues were deployed to a checkpoint where they were helping to hold and secure a bridge in the northern area of Nahr-e-Saraj.
Lieutenant Colonel Alastair Aitken, commanding officer of Combined Force Lashkar Gah and The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, paid tribute to the serviceman, describing him as a soldier of “true grit” who became the “most reliable and conscientious member of his platoon”.
And Major James Cross, Officer Commanding D Company, The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, said: “Highlander McLaren’s death has come as a huge blow to all of us who have had the privilege of serving alongside him.”
Highlander McLaren, described as an extremely accomplished runner who was known to his friends as F1, joined the Army in August 2009 but served less than two years before his death.
A statement on behalf of his family - parents James and Ann, sister Kirsty and brothers James and Ross - read: “We are deeply saddened by the news that our dear son Scott was killed in Afghanistan.
“We were extremely proud of Scott. He loved the Army and despite his short time in 4 Scots had made many friends.
“His family and friends will miss him dreadfully. We will always be thinking of him.”
The number of British military deaths in operations in Afghanistan since 2001 now stands at 375.
