Funeral today for fallen hero Sgt John Manuel

Dec 29 2008 by Dan Warburton, The Journal

A HERO soldier who was killed by a teenage suicide bomber in Afghanistan will be laid to rest on Tyneside today. Hundreds of mourners are expected to pack St Mary’s Cathedral, Clayton Street West in Newcastle, where Sgt John Manuel will receive full military honours.

His coffin will then travel the short distance to Saltwell Cemetery, on Saltwell Road South, Gateshead, where his body will be laid to rest.

The 38-year-old, from Gateshead, who was known to his family as Jacky, died alongside two comrades when a 13-year-old boy detonated a wheelbarrow filled with explosives.

John and his comrade Cpl Marc Birch were killed at the scene, while Marine Damian Davies died later in hospital at Camp Bastion. The teenager also died in the blast. Last week John’s mum Pauline, along with his brothers Trevor, 33, and Jimmy, 35, and partner Rachel, travelled down to RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire to see his coffin arrive.

His family have paid tribute to the soldier, describing him as a “loving and special son”. Pauline said: “Jacky died a hero and to us he will always be a hero. He was an extraordinary man doing an extraordinary job leading those around him right up until the very end.

“Jacky was a loving and special son. I was a single parent, and he supported me from a young age. His second priority was to serve his country.”

His brother Trevor, 33, said: “He is an irreplaceable loss to us all, a pillar of strength and happiness. We can only take comfort in knowing he did what he loved the most.”

John joined the Royal Marines Cadets in Newcastle when he was just 13 and spent every weekend perfecting his military field skills on camping trips.

And from his teenage years he was determined to realise his dream of becoming a full Royal Marines Commando.

He started his career at 45 Commando X Ray Company, based in Scotland, and this was where he spent most of his 20-year career with the Royal Marines. He served in Iraq and Kosovo and also became a specialist driver and instructor.

On the day he was killed, John was deployed on operations working alongside the Afghan National Army to dominate areas posing a threat to British forces and the local Afghan population.

And it was while he was acting as the commander of the Quick Reaction Force that the bomber struck.

Immediately after John’s death, Major Richard Maltby, his company commander, said the men’s thoughts were with Sgt Manuel’s partner Rachel.

He said: “A limitless ‘ball of fire’, Sgt Manuel was at the forefront of company life. Hugely popular, he combined a mischievous sense of humour with a dedication and professional manner that was second to none. He died doing what he loved, commanding a detachment and taking the fight to the enemy.”