The wife of one of six servicemen killed in a helicopter crash at the start of the Iraq war told an inquest today that her husband was due to leave the service to spend more time with his young family.
Lieutenant Tony King of Helston was killed with five colleagues from 849 Squadron in a mid-air collision between two Royal Navy Sea King helicopters over the Arabian Gulf on March 22 2003.
His wife Sarah King told the inquest that the death of her husband had left a "huge void" in her life and that of her children's, David and Molly.
Lt Philip Green, 30, from Caythorpe, Lincolnshire; Lt Antony King, from Helston; Lt Marc Lawrence, 26, from Westgate-on-Sea, Kent; Lt Philip West, 32, from Budock Water; Lt James Williams, 28, from Falmouth, and Lt Andrew Wilson, 36, from Exeter, Devon died alongside a US serviceman.
All died from multiple injuries, apart from Lt Wilson, who drowned.
The inquest continues.
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