With deepest sympathy to the widow and family of Cpl Sean Binnie.
The Staff
Balhousie Castle

Condolences from George and Mary Wood.RIP Sean.

Royal letters comfort heroic Sean’s widow
Grieving Amanda prepares for funeral in Belfast
By Gavin Roberts

Published: 18/05/2009


FUNERAL: Prince Charles' letter came just days before Sean Binnie's funeral.
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THE heartbroken widow of hero soldier Sean Binnie today revealed she received two letters of support from the Royal Family.

Amanda Binnie was today making final preparations for the Aberdeen soldier’s funeral on Friday.

But a handwritten letter from the Prince of Wales and one from the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, had given her some comfort, she said today.

“I really didn’t expect to receive letters from both Prince Charles and Prince Philip – they were very nice.

“The letter from Prince Charles was handwritten and he said he was very sorry to hear about Sean, that he was a very brave soldier and that he carried out a selfless act,” the 21-year-old from Belfast added.

Mrs Binnie also received a letter from the British Army’s General Sir David Richards, Commander-in-Chief (Land Forces) who is responsible for soldiers on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sean’s funeral will be held at the Jesus Christ Church of Latter Day Saints in Belfast, two weeks after the 22-year-old was shot and killed in Afghanistan.

Sean served with the Black Watch 3rd Battalion and was on a patrol in Helmand province when he was shot in the chest.

When on leave from the army, Sean lived with his parents in Aberdeen, and after getting married he divided his time between the North-east and Belfast.

Sean’s parents Jan and Allan, of Aberdeen’s Great Northern Road , will travel to Belfast for the service.

groberts@ajl.c

THE FAMILY of a young Fife soldier killed during a firefight with insurgents in Afghanistan spoke to The Courier at the weekend before his funeral takes place in Belfast on Friday.

Black Watch Corporal Sean Binnie (22), who enlisted in Kirkcaldy six years ago, will be buried with full military honours in the city he had set up home in with his bride of just six months, Amanda (21), following their wedding last December.

Although born in Dublin, Sean moved to Kirkcaldy with his mum Janette and dad Allan in 1993 and he always regarded the town as his home.

He attended North Primary School—where a minute’s silence was observed as a mark of respect last week—and then Balwearie High School, before following in the family footsteps and joining the army.

Sean had already had a taste of life in uniform with the cadets and it came as little surprise to Allan and Janette when the 16-year old announced he was joining up.

After attending the Army Foundation College in Harrogate Sean completed his final training at Catterick before joining The Black Watch at Warminster.

He was then stationed in Belfast, where he met Amanda, and at Fort George and saw service in Iraq and the Falklands.

Despite his tender years the army quickly realised Sean’s potential and he rose swiftly through the ranks. He also became a qualified physical training instructor and had a highly promising career ahead.

Tragically that came to a premature end on May 7 when he died from a gunshot wound sustained in a battle near Musa Qaleh in the Helmand province.

On a black day for the British forces Sergeant Ben Ross, from 173 Provost Company, 3rd Regiment, Royal Military Police, and Corporal Kuma Pun, 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, were killed during a patrol in Gereshk and Rifleman Adrian Sheldon from 2nd Battalion, The Rifles, died in an explosion when travelling in a Jackal vehicle near Sangin.

Allan and Janette expressed their condolences for the dead men’s families.

The couple, who now live in Aberdeen, spoke to The Courier to say how proud they had been of their “amazing” son.

Former Gordon Highlander Allan (40) said, “I have been bursting with pride all through Sean’s career.

“I was a private and his uncle Sandy was a lance corporal and he used to say we were nothing and he would beat us—and he certainly did that.

“He was only young but when The Black Watch were sent to Afghanistan he was made an acting sergeant and was a battlefield commander.

“Sean was supposed to look up to myself and Sandy but it turned out to be the other way round.

“He set himself targets and that included perhaps joining the SAS but once he got married he decided not to go down that road.

“Sean was going to go all the way to the top. We knew he was a good soldier but we did not realise how good until we spoke to some of the army dignitaries when his body was flown home.”

Janette (41) explained that Sean and Amanda—whom she described as “an absolutely wonderful person”—had not intended to get married until he returned from Afghanistan but had then decided to go ahead.

“It was a lovely wedding and they had a great honeymoon. Sean and Amanda had a wonderful life and I am so glad.

“He has done me proud in everything he has done and that includes the woman he married.

“I don’t think this war has anything to do with Britain but Sean was picked to do a specific job and I am extremely proud of him.”

Allan and Janette believe Sean would have preferred to be buried in Kirkcaldy where he spent nearly all his young life but they fully accept that he lived in Belfast as a married man and that the funeral will be held there.

Once things have settled down, however, they hope to have a memorial to him erected in Kirkcaldy and the army have indicated they will help with this as much as possible.

A memorial in kircaldy would be a fitting tribute to the young man, he certainly intended to make the army his career, RIP, Sean.
nellie

Condolonces go to the family at this testing time!

RIP Sean.

From todays Courier

Hopes for memorial in Fife
By Bruce Fegen

THE PARENTS of a Black Watch soldier from Kirkcaldy who was killed while fighting for his country in Afghanistan are firming up plans to erect a memorial to him in the town.

But so far Acting Sergeant Sean Binnie’s mum and dad are having difficulty deciding exactly what sort of honour would best mark the memory of the 22-year old who, although born in Dublin, spent most of his life in Fife.

The young soldier enlisted in the regiment in Kirkcaldy six years ago and was highly regarded by his superiors.

After completing his training he was stationed at Warminster and then Belfast. There he met his wife Amanda, whom he married in December.

He saw service in Iraq and the Falklands, moving up the ranks as he did so, but Sean’s promising career came to a tragic end when he was shot during a patrol with the Afghan National Army near Musa Qaleh, in Helmand Province, in May.

He was buried with full military honours in Belfast and his name will be forever remembered on the memorials in Perth to The Black Watch men who have died in tours of duty in recent years.

However, Janette and Allan Binnie are adamant that a memorial to their son should be put up in Kirkcaldy.

Speaking from her home in Aberdeen yesterday, Janette told The Courier, “Sean always regarded Kirkcaldy as his home town.

“He’s been made out to be a Belfast boy, a Belfast hero, but he wasn’t—he was a Kirkcaldy boy, a Kirkcaldy hero. That’s where his heart was and that’s where we want a memorial to be.

“But to be honest we don’t know where to start. Allan and I have thought about it and talked about it but so far we haven’t come up with any firm idea.

“I think the army are speaking to Fife Council to find out the legalities of what could be done but at the moment we don’t know what form any permanent tribute should take and as yet we haven’t really thought about raising the money, although we already have £90 donated by soldiers’ wives at Inverness.

“I have been ripped apart by Sean’s death,” she added. “I can’t keep going back and forward to Belfast and need something I can visit.

“We are never going to have grand- children—Sean was an only child—but there will be other relatives and friends of Sean who will want to remember him in this way and we are determined that it will happen.”

my sympathy in your time of grief. you all have my prayers

Sean,

You would have been proud of your wife last night on The Act of Remembrance programme on the BBC from The Royal Albert Hall, where in presence of The Queen, she paid a loving tribute to you and lead the party from The War Widows Group into the service to very loud applause and many tears.

At peace brave warrior

From todays Courier

Inquest into Fife war hero’s death
By Bruce Fegen
AN INQUEST into the death of a heroic Black Watch soldier from Fife killed in Afghanistan is to be held on Friday.

Sean Binnie (22) died while rescuing two Afghan soldiers when his unit came under Taliban fire on May 7 last year.

The acting sergeant from Kirkcaldy and a fellow soldier freed the men, who had been pinned down in a firefight, by killing the enemy with a grenade, but Sean was then tragically killed by a single bullet.

Now the inquest at Trowbridge in Wiltshire will consider the events leading up to his death and consider whether anything could have been done to prevent it.

Sean’s mum and dad, Jan and Allan Binnie, will attend the inquiry to learn the exact details of how their son, who had wed sweetheart Amanda, of Belfast, a few months earlier, died while fighting for his country.

Jan said, “It will be a very trying time for us and our niece Heather is coming as well to give us support. It will be upsetting to hear the details, but we’re looking to get some answers and I’m hoping that everything I’ve been told turns out to be correct.

“I’ve absolutely no reason to think otherwise, the army has been very straight with me and the regiment has been with me every step of the way.

“I have spoken to Sean’s colleagues and don’t expect to hear anything different on Friday to what they’ve told me.

“We’ve been told the inquiry should last about half a day.”

“It should be pretty straightforward and I don’t expect there will be any lessons to be learned, although if there are I hope they are acted on.”

Jan added, “Things such as the inquest keep bringing it all back and I’m hoping that once this is over, it will bring a bit of closure, as I’ve not been able to grieve properly with everything that’s been going on.”

Sean was serving with The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, in Helmand.

Weeks later the regiment, which lost five men in the conflict, received medals from the Duke of Rothesay at Fort George and Jan and Allan said they were proud their son’s colleagues were recognised for their accomplishments in Afghanistan.