Canadian Forces casualties in Afghanistan

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Canada's role in the invasion of Afghanistan, as an active combatant in operations against the Taliban and other insurgents in southern Afghanistan, has produced the largest number of fatal casualties for any single Canadian military mission since the 25th Canadian Brigade served in the Korean War. A reported total of 85 members of the Canadian Forces have died in Afghanistan between February 2002 and June 8, 2008. Of these, 73 were due to hostile circumstances and 10 were accidents or other non-hostile deaths. 39 soldiers have been killed in roadside bombings, 11 died in unspecified hostile incidents, 6 in RPG attacks, 11 were killed in suicide bombings, 6 died due to United States friendly fire, 6 in vehicle accidents, 1 in a mortar attack, 2 from accidental falls, 2 from accidental gunshots, and 1 suicide death.

Canada's first casualties in the mission in Afghanistan occurred in the Tarnak Farm incident, when four Canadians were killed and many others seriously wounded, when a U.S. warplane dropped a bomb on a training exercise in the belief that the Canadians were enemy soldiers. The four servicemen were honoured at an event unprecedented in Canadian military history; on 28 April 2002, Skyreach Centre in Edmonton was filled to capacity for a tribute to the four fallen soldiers, complete with 28 page souvenir programme; the table of contents listed personal messages from the Governor General, Prime Minister, Chief of Defence Staff, Premiers of Alberta and Manitoba, and the Mayor of Edmonton, most of whom attended the service. Subsequent fatalities have been honoured by much smaller services.

At the ceremony marking the rededication of the Vimy Memorial on April 9, 2007,^[1], Queen Elizabeth II, said in her dedication: "To their eternal remembrance, to Canada, to all who would serve the cause of freedom, and to those who have lost their lives in Afghanistan."^[2]

The death of Anthony Boneca sparked debate about the combat-readiness of Canadian reservists. Many questions were raised, not only about the suitability of employing reservists (the comments were reported later by the media to be unfounded) but also the role of the media themselves in reporting comments by grief-stricken relatives, such as Boneca's partner's father.

The suitability of the Iltis vehicle was questioned heavily after a landmine incident claimed Canadian soldiers, the military quickly acquired "G-Wagon" and Nyala armoured patrol vehicles in the wake of several fatalities.^[3]

Captain Nichola Goddard also became the first Canadian combat-deployed female to die in combat.

In honor of those who died during the Afghanistan mission, a section of Highway 401 was renamed The Highway of Heroes.^[4] The designated section of highway is the route traveled by motorcades carrying fallen soldiers from the military airbase at CFB Trenton to Toronto, Ontario, when they are repatriated to Canada.^[5]

1 Fatalities
2 Notes
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Fatalities

Rank	Name	Hometown	Unit	Date	Circumstance	References
Sergeant	Marc D. Léger	Lancaster, Ontario	3 PPCLI	18 April 2002	Main article: Tarnak Farm incident Four soldiers are killed and eight wounded in a friendly fire incident when an American F-16 fighter jet dropped a laser-guided 225-kilogram bomb on the Canadians who were on an exercise at Tarnak Farm, near Kandahar.	[1]
Corporal	Ainsworth Dyer	Montreal, Quebec
Private	Richard Green	Mill Cove, Nova Scotia
Private	Nathan Smith	Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia
Sergeant	Robert Alan Short	Fredericton, New Brunswick	3 RCR	2 October 2003	Landmine incident along a road regularly used by Canadian patrols leaving Camp Julien. The mines are believed to have been placed along the road two hours before the patrol.	[2]
Corporal	Robbie Christopher Beerenfenger	Ottawa, Ontario	3 RCR	2 October 2003		[2]
Corporal	Jamie Brendan Murphy	Conception Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador	RCR	27 January 2004	Victim of a suicide bombing while on patrol in a Iltis jeep.	[3]
Private	Braun Scott Woodfield	Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia	2 RCR	24 November 2005	Died in a LAV III rollover on the main highway between Camp Julien and Kandahar.	[4]
Not applicable	Glyn Berry	United Kingdom	Senior Foreign Affairs officer	15 January 2006	Died in a suicide attack while being transported in an armoured G-wagon.	[5]
Master Corporal	Timothy Wilson	Grande Prairie, Alberta	2 PPCLI	March 2, 2006	Vehicular accident involving a LAV III and a local taxi. Five others also injured.	[6]
Corporal	Paul Davis	Bridgewater, Nova Scotia	2 PPCLI	March 2, 2006		[6]
Private	Robert Costall	Gibsons, British Columbia	1 PPCLI	29 March 2006	Killed by friendly fire from American Special Forces while defending a coalition outpost outside Kandahar from Taliban insurgents.	[7] [8] [9] [10] [11]
Corporal	Matthew Dinning	Richmond Hill, Ontario	2 CMBG Headquarters & Signal Squadron	22 April 2006	All four died when their G-wagon struck an IED north of Kandahar.	[12] [13] [14]
Lieutenant	William Turner	Toronto, Ontario	Land Force Western Area HQ
Bombardier	Myles Mansell	Victoria, British Columbia	5th (British Columbia) Field Artillery Regiment
Corporal	Randy Payne	Gananoque, Ontario	Wainwright MP Platoon
Captain	Nichola Goddard	Calgary, Alberta	1 RCHA	17 May 2006	Killed during operations against insurgents.	[15] [16]
Corporal	Anthony Boneca	Thunder Bay, Ontario	LSSR	9 July 2006	Killed during combat operations against Taliban insurgents.	[17]
Corporal	Francisco Gomez	Edmonton, Alberta	2 PPCLI	22 July 2006	Two soldiers are killed, and eight wounded when their Bison armoured vehicle is attacked by a suicide bomber.	[18]
Corporal	Jason Patrick Warren	Quebec City, Quebec	Black Watch	22 July 2006		[18]
Not applicable	Mike Frastacky	Vancouver, British Columbia	Civilian carpenter	23 July 2006	Murdered in Nahrin.	[19] [20]
Corporal	Christopher Jonathan Reid	Truro, Nova Scotia	1 PPCLI	3 August 2006	Killed by a roadside bomb while in a LAV III.	[21]
Sergeant	Vaughn Ingram	Burgeo, Newfoundland and Labrador			All three soldiers killed, and nine wounded, during a RPG attack by insurgents.
Corporal	Bryce Jeffrey Keller	Regina, Saskatchewan
Private	Kevin Dallaire	Calgary, Alberta
Master Corporal	Raymond Arndt	Edson, Alberta	Loyal Edmonton Regiment	5 August 2006	Killed in vehicular accident when a G-wagon collided head-on with a local civilian truck. 3 others were also injured.	[22] [23]
Master Corporal	Jeffrey Scott Walsh	Regina, Saskatchewan	2 PPCLI	9 August 2006	Killed by the accidental discharge of a comrade's rifle while on patrol west of Kandahar. He had been in theater for less than a week.	[24] [25]
Corporal	Andrew James Eykelenboom	Comox, British Columbia	1 Fd Amb	11 August 2006	Killed by a suicide bomber while on a NATO patrol in a G-wagon light utility vehicle.	[26] [27]
Corporal	David Braun	Raymore, Saskatchewan	2 PPCLI	22 August 2006	Killed by a suicide bomber in Southern Afghanistan	[28]
Warrant Officer	Frank Robert Mellish	Truro, Nova Scotia	1 RCR	3 September 2006	Killed during Operation Medusa while fighting with Taliban insurgents in Panjwai district west of Kandahar.	[29]
Warrant Officer	Richard Francis Nolan	Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador
Private	William Jonathon James Cushley	Port Lambton, Ontario
Sergeant	Shane Stachnik	Waskatenau, Alberta	2 Combat Engineer Regiment
Private	Mark Anthony Graham	Hamilton, Ontario	1 RCR	4 September 2006	Killed by U.S. A-10 attack aircraft in a friendly fire incident.	[30]
Private	David Byers	Espanola, Ontario	2 PPCLI	18 September 2006	All four soldiers killed, and several others wounded, during an attack on their foot patrol by a suicide bomber riding a bicycle in Panjwai district, west of Kandahar.	[31]
Corporal	Shane Keating	Dalmeny, Saskatchewan
Corporal	Keith Morley	Winnipeg, Manitoba
Corporal	Glen Arnold	McKerrow, Ontario	2 Field Ambulance
Private	Josh Klukie	Thunder Bay, Ontario	1 RCR	29 September 2006	Killed by an IED blast while serving with 1 RCR on a foot patrol in Panjwai District.	[32]
Sergeant	Craig Paul Gillam	South Branch, Newfoundland and Labrador	Royal Canadian Dragoons	3 October 2006	Killed, when attacked while working on road construction project west of Kandahar.	[33]
Corporal	Robert Thomas James Mitchell	Owen Sound, Ontario	Royal Canadian Dragoons	3 October 2006		[33]
Trooper (Private)	Mark Andrew Wilson	London, Ontario	Royal Canadian Dragoons	7 October 2006	Killed by an IED blast while riding in a Nyala armoured patrol vehicle west of Kandahar	[34][35][36]
Sergeant	Darcy Tedford	Calgary, Alberta	1 RCR	14 October 2006	Killed in an ambush in southern Kandahar	[37]
Private	Blake Williamson	Ottawa, Ontario	1 RCR	14 October 2006	Killed in an ambush in southern Kandahar	[37]
Chief Warrant Officer	Robert Girouard	Bouctouche, New Brunswick	1 RCR	27 November 2006	Killed by a suicide bomber while riding in a Bison armoured vehicle	[38]
Corporal	Albert Storm	Niagara Falls, Ontario	1 RCR	27 November 2006		[38]
Corporal	Kevin Megeney	Stellarton, Nova Scotia	Nova Scotia Highlanders	6 March 2007	Killed by accidental shooting while on base in Kandahar.	[39]
Sergeant	Donald Lucas	St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador	2 RCR	8 April 2007	All six killed by a roadside bomb while riding in a LAV III 75 km west of Kandahar City near the border between Kandahar and Helmand provinces. One other soldier was seriously wounded, another lightly wounded, and two others escaped injury. They were conducting a convoy security operation in support of Operation Achilles. It was the single worst attack on NATO troops since June 2005 and the single costliest day of combat for Canadian troops since 26 members of the RCR were killed in Korea in 1953.	[40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45]
Corporal	Aaron E. Williams	Lincoln, New Brunswick
Corporal	Brent Poland	Camlachie, Ontario
Private	David Robert Greenslade	Saint John, New Brunswick
Private	Kevin Vincent Kennedy	St. Lawrence, Newfoundland and Labrador
Corporal	Christopher Paul Stannix	Dartmouth, Nova Scotia	Princess Louise Fusiliers
Master Corporal	Allan Stewart	Newcastle, New Brunswick	Royal Canadian Dragoons	11 April 2007	Killed by a roadside bomb 38 km west of Kandahar city.	[46]
Trooper	Patrick James Pentland	Geary, New Brunswick	Royal Canadian Dragoons	11 April 2007	Killed by a roadside bomb 38 km west of Kandahar city.	[46]
Master Corporal	Anthony Klumpenhouwer	Listowel, Ontario	Signaller assigned to Canadian Special Operations Forces Command	18 April 2007	Fell from a communications tower	[47][48]
Corporal	Matthew McCully	Orangeville, Ontario	2 CMBG Headquarters & Signal Squadron	25 May 2007	Killed by an IED during a foot patrol.	[49]
Master Corporal	Darryl Jason Priede	Burlington, Ontario	3 Area Support Group	30 May 2007	Killed in a CH-47 Chinook helicopter crash after it was reporidly hit with rocket propelled grenades (RPGs).	[50] [51]
Trooper	Darryl Caswell	Bowmanville, Ontario	Royal Canadian Dragoons	11 June 2007	Killed by a roadside bomb about 40 kilometres north of Kandahar. Two others wounded in the explosion.	[52]
Sergeant	Christos Karigiannis	Laval, Quebec	3 PPCLI	20 June 2007	Killed by an IED while travelling in an open-top, unarmoured all-terrain vehicle in a supply convoy in Panjwaii district west of Kandahar.	[53]
Corporal	Stephen Frederick Bouzane	Scarborough, Ontario
Private	Joel Vincent Wiebe	Edmonton, Alberta
Captain	Matthew Johnathan Dawe	Kingston, Ontario	3 PPCLI	4 July 2007	All six killed, along with a translator, by a roadside bomb while riding in an RG-31 Nyala armoured vehicle. The attack occurred in Panjwai district.	[54] [55] [56] [57] [58]
Corporal	Jordan Anderson	Iqaluit, Nunavut
Corporal	Cole Bartsch	Whitecourt, Alberta
Private	Lane Watkins	Clearwater, Manitoba
Captain	Jefferson Francis	Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia	1 RCHA
Master Corporal	Colin Bason	Abbotsford, British Columbia	Royal Westminster Regiment
Private	Simon Longtin	Longueuil, Quebec	3 R22eR	19 August 2007	Killed when the LAVIII he was riding in struck a roadside bomb five kilometres east of the village of Masum Ghar	[59]
Master Warrant Officer	Mario Mercier	Estrie, Quebec	2 R22eR	22 August 2007	Killed by a roadside bomb planted by retreating insurgents after an hour-long battle in the Zhari district, about 50 kilometres West of Kandahar.	[60]
Master Corporal	Christian Duchesne	Montreal, Quebec	5 Field Ambulance	22 August 2007		[60]
Major	Raymond Ruckpaul	Hamilton, Ontario	NATO Allied Land Component Command Headquarters/Royal Canadian Dragoons	29 August 2007	Found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his room at ISAF headquarters in Kabul. The death was ruled a suicide by both the CFNIS and the Ontario Officer of the Chief Coroner.	[61][62] [63] [64]
Corporal	Nathan Hornburg	Calgary, Alberta	King's Own Calgary Regiment	24 September 2007	Killed by mortar attack attempting to repair a Leopard tank.	[65]
Corporal	Nicolas Raymond Beauchamp	Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec	5 Field Ambulance	17 November 2007	Killed by an IED while travelling in a Light Armoured Vehicle north of Bazar-e Panjwaii.	[66]
Private	Michel Levesque	Rivière-Rouge, Quebec	3 R22eR	17 November 2007		[66]
Gunner	Jonathan Dion	Val-d'Or, Quebec	5 RALC	30 December 2007	Killed when TLAV struck an IED.	[67]
Warrant Officer	Hani Massouh	Alexandria, Egypt	2 R22eR	6 January 2008	Killed when their LAV III rolled over in Zhari district of southern Afghanistan.	[68] [69]
Corporal	Eric Labbé	Rimouski, Quebec	2 R22eR	6 January 2008		[68] [69]
Trooper	Richard Renaud	Alma, Quebec	12^e Régiment blindé du Canada	15 January 2008	Killed when Coyote Reconnaissance Vehicle struck an IED.	[70]
Corporal	Etienne Gonthier	Quebec City, Quebec	5 Combat Engineer Regiment	January 23, 2008	Killed in Panjwaii district by roadside bomb during road clearance.	[71] [72]
Trooper	Michael Yuki Hayakaze	Edmonton, Alberta	Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)	March 2, 2008	Killed in Panjwaii district, 45 kilometres west of Kandahar when his Armoured vehicle, part of a supply convoy hit a roadside bomb	[73] [74]
Bombardier	Jérémie Ouellet	Matane, Quebec	Royal Canadian Horse Artillery	March 11, 2008	Canadian soldier was found dead in an accommodation room. Cause under investigation by Canadian Forces National Investigation Service. Determined to be non-combat related.	[75] [76]
Sergeant	Jason Boyes	Napanee, Ontario	2 PPCLI	March 16, 2008	A newly arrived Canadian soldier died of his wounds after being injured by an explosive device while on foot patrol in the Panjwai district.	[77] [78] [79] [80] [81]
Private	John Street	Gatineau, Quebec	2 PPCLI	April 4, 2008	Killed when his vehicle was struck by an IED	[82] [83]
Corporal	Michael Starker	Calgary, Alberta	15 Field Ambulance	May 6, 2008	Killed in an ambush on a foot patrol in Pashmul region, another Canadian soldier was wounded in the fire fight.	[84]
Captain	Richard Leary	Brantford, Ontario	2 PPCLI	June 3, 2008	Killed in a firefight while on a foot patrol in Panjwaii district	[85]
Captain	Jonathan Snyder	Penticton, British Columbia	1 PPCLI	June 8, 2008	Died when he fell into a 20-meter deep well while on night patrol in Zhari district, west of Kandahar City.	[86]