Remembering the Fallen: on this day in 2007, Rifleman Aaron Lincoln, of the 2nd Battalion The Rifles died in Basra City, Iraq. His platoon was conducting a security patrol close to Basra Palace when a gunman opened fire on them. His team followed up on the suspected firing point but shots were fired from a different direction and Rifleman Lincoln was fatally wounded. He completed basic training in July of 2006, succeeding in his long-held wish to follow his grandfather into the army, and arrived in Iraq less than three months before his death. He is remembered particularly for his courage, quick wit and positive attitude.

Lieutenant Colonel JCW Maciejewski MBE said: “He was a wonderful young Rifleman: enthusiastic, caring and committed. Rifleman Lincoln loved soldiering and was very good at it; he represents a tradition of soldiering that has very deep roots in County Durham. He was so conscious of where he was from and also of his own family tradition of service in the Army. I was struck by this when I met him on his arrival in the Battalion. In a society that often seems so obsessed with self, money, and celebrity"

Rifleman Lincoln’s short life amounted to something much more profound. He lived for service to his country and his mates. He lived a life of courage, loyalty, and selfless commitment to others. Ultimately he sacrificed his life for his friends. He died following up an attack on one of his platoon in which a fellow Rifleman was wounded." Aaron, from Durham, was 18 years old.