In Remembrance: Private James Prosser — 2 Royal Welsh, Musa Qalah, 27 September 2009
Private James Prosser, 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh, was killed in the Musa Qalah district of Helmand Province on 27 September 2009. He was 21.
A Company, 2 Platoon
James joined the Army in July 2008 and, after infantry training at Catterick, joined 2 Royal Welsh in February 2009. He was posted to A Company, 2 Platoon.
The official MOD record describes a young soldier who quickly became part of the platoon, with an outgoing personality and a natural enthusiasm for soldiering. He began as a dismounted infantryman before being selected and trained as a Warrior infantry fighting vehicle driver.
27 September 2009
James was killed as a result of an improvised explosive device while driving his Warrior during a vehicle patrol in the Musa Qalah district.
His death was another loss for A Company and for a battalion operating in an area where movement by road and track carried a persistent IED threat.
Remembering Pross
The official tributes remember “Pross” as a popular, selfless and humorous soldier who had made a strong impression despite having been with the battalion for only a short time. His commanders considered him a capable Warrior driver with a bright future.
I was serving with 3 Platoon, A Company at Minden PB in Musa Qalah during HERRICK 10/11. James was 2 Platoon, and I want that kept clear. I have not given a personal friendship or a specific memory of him, so I am not going to manufacture one. What I can say is that his loss belongs to the same A Company and Musa Qalah story that I remember from the ground.
Return to Log 042 — Helmand Province →
Return to Log 041 — Operation HERRICK →
Official remembrance record
Ministry of Defence — Private James Prosser →
Image note: The MOD portrait is marked “All rights reserved”, so I have not reproduced it here without permission.
