THE mum of a former Weymouth College student killed in Afghanistan said her son ‘died doing the job he loved’.
Lance Corporal Jonathan McKinlay, of B Company, 1st Battalion The Rifles, was killed in Afghanistan on September 14 by a burst of small-arms fire while on patrol with his team.
Family and friends gathered for an emotional funeral service held at St George Church, Bulford Camp, Wiltshire, on the 10th anniversary of the conflict in Afghanistan.
He studied at Weymouth College and his sister, Rebecca, still lives in the town. He lived for a time in Blandford where his mother Valerie still lives.
The union flag-draped coffin adorned with flowers was carried into the small church by six of L/Cpl McKinlay’s comrades to the sound of High on a Hill.
His wife Lisa and his mother followed the coffin inside supported by their close family.
During the service tears mingled with mirth as people laughed at stories from L/Cpl McKinlay’s life.
The mourners were told ‘there was never a dull moment’ when L/Cpl McKinlay, known as Jon or JJ, was around.
Speaking to more than 200 mourners packed into the church, Padre Grant Ashton told them L/Cpl McKinlay had ‘died trying to make the world a better place’. He read out a tribute from L/Cpl McKinlay’s mother, who said: “Jonathan always lived life by the skin of his teeth.
“He sky-dived, loved it; he rode a motorbike, loved it; and he was an infantry soldier, loved it. Not a safe trio, I’m sure you’ll agree.
“He died doing the job he loved with his kind of people around him.
“As his mum, I will miss him dearly until the end of my days. Life is going to be a lot duller without him.”
L/Cpl McKinlay deployed to Afghanistan as a battle-casualty replacement in June 2011, having recently qualified as a Bravo Mortar Fire Controller.
He was based in Checkpoint Chaabak in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand.
The soldier was with members of the Afghan Uniform Police when they came under attack.
L/Cpl McKinlay joined the Army in 1996 and racked up ‘a great degree of experience’ throughout his career, with deployments to Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said.
The MoD added: “He held an impressive array of qualifications on top of this, making him a great asset.”
LCpl McKinlay leaves behind his wife, daughter and two stepchildren.
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