Soldiers' deaths felt in military's 'large family': regiment

Master corporal, trooper were based in Petawawa, Ont.

Last Updated: Thursday, April 12, 2007 | 5:07 PM ET

CBC News

A comrade of the two latest Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan described one of them Thursday as a "likable, good-natured" veteran, while his younger fellow soldier was recalled as "a great comrade" who excelled at his role.

Maj. Jim Follwell said Master Cpl. Allan Stewart was an "extremely dedicated family man" who beamed when he talked about his wife Christa and their two children to other members of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, a regiment Stewart served in throughout his career.

"He always looked to increase his skills and ability [and] of those around him," Follwell told reporters Thursday from the Dragoons' home base in Petawawa, Ont. 

Trooper Patrick James Pentland was one of two soldiers killed in a roadside attack in Afghanistan on Wednesday.
(Department of National Defence)

Stewart, 30, and Trooper Patrick James Pentland, 23, of the Royal Canadian Dragoons were based in Petawawa, Ont. They died Wednesday in the third roadside blast in a day, and just three days after six of their comrades were killed in the worst attack since Canada's mission in Afghanistan began.

The explosions on Wednesday occurred within hours of each other, in locations just 750 metres apart. Two other Canadian soldiers were wounded in the same attack, one seriously. They are in stable condition.

Born in Newcastle, N.B., Stewart joined the regiment in 1997 and served in an earlier mission in Afghanistan as part of Operation Athena in Kabul, Follwell said. He also served in Bosnia in 2001.

Pentland was born in Lahr, Germany, as his father served with the Dragoons as part of NATO's European operations before his family moved to Geary, N.B.

He joined the Canadian Forces in 2004 before continuing the family tradition in the Dragoons in July 2005. It was his first deployment to Afghanistan, where he was serving as a driver in a Coyote armoured vehicle.

"He quickly fit into the regiment, excelling during his training and on exercises," Follwell said. "He was a great comrade to those in his troop."

Despite the losses, Follwell said the regiment's support for the Afghan mission remained "unwavering."

Deadliest week since Korean War

One of the three wounded Canadian soldiers, centre, is helped into the military hospital in Kandahar after the Wednesday bombings.
(Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)

The deaths of Stewart and Pentland bring the week's death toll for Canadians in Afghanistan to eight, making it the deadliest week in combat for the Canadian Forces in more than 50 years.

In a statement Thursday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said their families "can take great pride" in knowing the soldiers helped to build a better future for Afghans.

"Their sacrifice leaves a profound legacy — a legacy of hope and confidence for the future of Afghanistan and its people," Harper said. "They will not be forgotten."

Speaking in Quebec City on Thursday, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier said the loss was palpable throughout the forces, but did not shake the resolve of those undertaking the mission or their leaders.

"I will make no secret of it; it’s been a tough week," Hillier said bluntly. "But our support is complete. There are no qualifications."

At Hillier's side, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor told reporters that his prayers went out to the families and loved ones of the soldiers.

"These tragedies are a painful reminder that the Canadian Forces are engaged in a difficult and dangerous mission in Afghanistan," he said. 

"But in the face of this, Canada's soldiers are succeeding in our mission of securing a brighter future for the Afghan people while ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a base for terrorism."

Col. Mike Cessford, the deputy commander of the Canadian contingent in Afghanistan, has denied suggestions that an apparent spike in violence is an early indication of a planned Taliban spring offensive.

"Obviously, we will examine that closely, but again I am not convinced that this is a Taliban offensive," Cessford said.

The soldiers hit in the second bombing were attempting to help their colleagues who were struck by the first bomb, the Canadian Defence Department said in a news release. The first bombing, which also occurred next to a Canadian military vehicle, injured one soldier.

Col. Mike Cessford answers reporters' questions at the Canadian military base in Kandahar.

Cessford said the bombings occurred about 38 kilometres west of Kandahar on Wednesday night. The second bomb, which exploded next to a Canadian military vehicle, took the greatest toll — killing the two soldiers and injuring two.

Cessford said all three injured soldiers were taken by helicopter to a military hospital in Kandahar.

There was a third bomb attack on Canadian soldiers on Wednesday, at about noon, but no one was injured, said Chris Brown of CBC News, reporting from Kandahar.

Canada has now lost 53 soldiers and one diplomat in Afghanistan since the mission began in 2002.

Latest deaths follow Easter casualties

Follwell said the loss of Pentland and Stewart struck deep in the hearts of the "large family" of the military, as well as the Dragoons, who have lost five members in the Afghan mission.

“Obviously, it’s been a tough six months," he said. "It has an impact."

The latest casualties came just three days after six soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in the troubled country. The bodies of the six arrived at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in southeastern Ontario on Wednesday night.

The six were killed Sunday when their armoured vehicle struck a roadside bomb west of the city of Kandahar, resulting in the worst single-day loss of life for the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan.