Tributes paid to Bishop Auckland corporal killed in Afghanistan.

A NORTH-EAST “all-action hero” was last night named as one of two soldiers killed in a bomb blast in southern Afghanistan.

Father-of-two Corporal Lee Brownson, 30, from Bishop Auckland, died while on patrol in southern Sangin, on Friday.

The soldier’s wife, Leeanne, is expecting their third child in the summer.

The bomb blast also claimed the life of 19-year-old Rifleman Luke Farmer, from Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

Both served with the 3rd Battalion, The Rifles and were killed when an improvised explosive device detonated while on foot patrol.

Major Tim Harris, the men’s company commander, described Cpl Brownson as truly phenomenal.

“He was loved by his men, they all wanted to be just like him, their hero,” he said.

Maj Harris said the County Durham soldier was “outstandingly brave”.

He added: “If there was a fight to be had he was always at the front.

“On one occasion, like the all-action hero he was, he was hit by a piece of shrapnel in his shoulder, but refused medical treatment, dealing with it in the morning once the enemy had gone.”

Lieutenant Colonel Nick Kitson said: “Such was his self confidence and inner-strength that nothing was too much trouble for him in understanding and caring for the needs of those around him.

“Whether for his beloved wife and daughters at home or for his brothers-in-arms in Afghanistan, his first priority was to take care of others.”

His friends in the Army also paid tribute to him last night.

Lance Corporal Johnny Cassell said: “He was known as a bit of a ‘Del Boy’ in the battalion and never failed to make me laugh with stories of his latest money-making schemes.”

Cpl Brownson was interviewed by Matt Westcott, of The Northern Echo, while 3 Rifles were on exercise in Kenya.

He was acting as a sentry at a forward operating base during Exercise Grand Prix, a pre-deployment training exercise involving thousands of UK soldiers in the hills outside the capital Nairobi.

The aim was to prepare them for the kind of environment and circumstances they would find in Afghanistan Mr Westcott said: “Though I spent less than half-an-hour talking to Cpl Brownson, it was enough time to realise that here was a man committed to his career and, also, to his family.

After the initial interview was over, where we talked about his hopes and fears for his impending deployment to the war zone, we continued, chatting a while about his home life, his family and his interests away from the Army.”

As well as his wife, he leaves behind daughters Ginalee and Morgan and his unborn child, due in the summer.

Rfn Farmer was described as a soldier “mature beyond his years”.

His father, Mark, said that seeing his son progress through the Army was a great source of pride.

He added: “I was the proudest dad at his passing out parade.

I felt 20ft tall the day Luke received the award for fittest soldier within his intake.

He could have one day gone to the Olympics as a 100m sprinter, he was that fast.”

He was also a good amateur rugby league player, said his mother, Angela.

She added: “He will be missed by all.”

His platoon commander, Lieutenant Palmer Winstanley, said: “Rifleman Luke Farmer was not your average rifleman. He had a real depth of character.

“He was confident, strong and kind. He was a quiet man with a quick wit.”

Lt Winstanley added: “He stepped up to the mark as our lead man, responsible for finding improvised explosive devices with a metal detector.

“This is an incredible undertaking for anyone, and it is certain that he saved many lives – British and Afghan – through his sheer resilience and bravery.”

Major Tim Harris, his company commander, described the young soldier as a “typical Yorkshireman: tough as granite, quietly self-assured and as brave as ten men”.

The deaths of the two men take the number of British service personnel who have died since the start of operations in Afghanistan in 2001 to 249.