This is a tribute to John Sanderson. Lieutenant John Charles Sanderson of 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire) [1 MERCIAN], attached to 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles Battle Group, passed away on Wednesday 11 August 2010 of wounds sustained in Afghanistan.

Lt John Sanderson was wounded in an explosion whilst on patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province on 13 July 2010.

He was treated at the scene before being flown to the UK for further treatment. On Wednesday 11 August 2010, surrounded by his family, he finally succumbed to his injuries.

Lt John Sanderson was born in Oklahoma USA on 23 April 1981. He was educated at Bradfield College and Exeter University where he read history and was a member of the University Officer Training Corps.

Immediately after university he joined the Royal Marines and began training on the Young Officers' Course at Lympstone in September 2002, although he was forced to withdraw from the course having broken his ankle. Following this he had a brief foray into the world of finance before attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, commissioning into the Mercian Regiment in April 2009.

Following the Platoon Commanders' Battle Course he joined the 1st Battalion in time to assume command of 1 Platoon, A Company, and deploy to Kenya to take part in Exercise Grand Prix.

He successfully led his platoon through pre-deployment training and, shortly before deploying to Afghanistan, moved them to the newly re-formed B (Malta) Company in readiness for its deployment with the 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles Battlegroup on Operation HERRICK 12.

The Company deployed to Patrol Base 1 in the Nahr-e Saraj (South) District of Helmand province.

B (Malta) Company have spent the last four months improving the quality of the lives of hundreds of local Afghans around the villages of Enezai and Char Coucha in the Nahr-e Saraj District of Helmand by providing much needed security and reassurance to the community in the area.

On 13 July 2010, during an operation to the north east of Char Coucha, close to Patrol Base 1, Lt Sanderson's 12-man multiple was occupying a compound in order to provide security for an IED clearance operation to take place. At 0626hrs local time, an explosion occurred, injuring Lt John Sanderson.

John Sanderson leaves behind his mother, father and sister, all of whom live in Windelsham, Surrey.

His family have paid the following tribute:

"We have lost a brilliant and loving son and brother. John loved his Army career and was enthusiastically committed to his men and particularly his and their role in Afghanistan.

"He believed he was contributing to a better life for the Afghan people. We will miss him tremendously but we will never forget him and what he gave to us."

This is an online memorial in memory of John Sanderson who died a hero doing his duty. He will never be forgotten. May he rest in peace.