Talk:Rupert Thorneloe

A fact from Rupert Thorneloe appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 13 July 2009 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:

Did you know... that Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe, who died in 2009 during Operation Panther's Claw in Afghanistan, is the highest-ranking British officer to be killed in action since Lt Col 'H'. Jones in the Falklands War?

A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2009/July.

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Gazette search results

Official announcements of commission, promotions and honours from the London Gazette: http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/exact=(535472)/start=1 David Underdown (talk) 10:44, 6 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Factual accuracy?

The statement "Thorneloe is the highest-ranking British officer to be killed in action since Lt Col 'H'. Jones" is incorrect. Lt Col is equivalent to Wg Cdr and the following two RAF wg cdrs have been killed in action since 1982:

Wing Commander Nigel Elsdon, No. 27 Squadron RAF, 17/18 January 1991, Gulf War
Wing Commander John Coxon, RAF Support Helicopter Force, 6 May 2006, Iraq War

I am changing the statement to read "... highest-ranking British Army officer ...".

Also, although it is cited from a BBC source, I do not believe that Thorneloe was the highest ranking British officer ever to die in Afghanistan. Even a passing knowledge of the Massacre of Elphinstone's Army would disprove this assertion. Elphinstone died in captivity after surrendering and one of his brigadiers (Anquetil) fought on until he was killed. I suggest that it would be safer to write "highest-ranking to die in Afghanistan in post-colonial times". 84.13.125.244 (talk) 22:30, 18 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]