Lisa Head
Encyclopedia
Captain Lisa Jade Head was a British
army
officer. She was the first female bomb disposal
officer ever to be killed on operations. She died on 19 April 2011 at the age of 29, having sustained serious injuries on active service in Afghanistan
. At the time of her death, Captain Head was the first female officer and the second British servicewoman to die in Afghanistan since 2001, after Sarah Bryant
, and the 364th member of the armed forces in total.
Born in Huddersfield
, West Yorkshire
, she attended Greenhead College
and studied human biology at the University of Huddersfield
before attending the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. She served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an air transport liaison officer with the Royal Logistic Corps before being transferred to 321 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Squadron, 11 Explosive Ordnance Department, Royal Logistic Corps, with whom she served in Northern Ireland. She was deployed to Afghanistan on 27 March 2011. She was a bomb disposal specialist and had achieved the "High Threat IED Operators" status indicating great expertise.
She was mortally injured in Nahr-e-Saraj in Helmand Province
on 18 April 2011, 22 days after arriving in Afghanistan for the second time, while attempting to disable a cluster of improvised explosive device
s, which defence sources said had been placed to catch out a bomb disposal expert. She disabled one device, but was hit when a second device in the chain went off. She was evacuated by helicopter to Camp Bastion
in Lashkar Gah, from where she was flown back to Queen Elizabeth hospital
in Birmingham. She died there the following day.
Her funeral was held on 6 May 2011 at Huddersfield Parish Church. A guard of honour
from her regiment lined the steps of the church at the funeral procession and carried her coffin into the church. More than 1,000 people attended the funeral, including family, friends, military personnel and residents of Huddersfield.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer. She was the first female bomb disposal
Bomb disposal
Bomb disposal is the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. Bomb disposal is an all encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the following fields:*Military:...
officer ever to be killed on operations. She died on 19 April 2011 at the age of 29, having sustained serious injuries on active service in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. At the time of her death, Captain Head was the first female officer and the second British servicewoman to die in Afghanistan since 2001, after Sarah Bryant
Sarah Bryant (British Army soldier)
Corporal Sarah Louise Bryant née Feely of the British Army's Intelligence Corps was the first British servicewoman killed in Afghanistan.-Career:...
, and the 364th member of the armed forces in total.
Born in Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, she attended Greenhead College
Greenhead College
Greenhead College is a former grammar school and current sixth form college located in Huddersfield, in the English county of West Yorkshire. The current principal is Martin Rostron....
and studied human biology at the University of Huddersfield
University of Huddersfield
The University of Huddersfield is a university located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.- History :The University traces its roots back to a Science and Mechanic Institute founded in 1825...
before attending the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. She served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an air transport liaison officer with the Royal Logistic Corps before being transferred to 321 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Squadron, 11 Explosive Ordnance Department, Royal Logistic Corps, with whom she served in Northern Ireland. She was deployed to Afghanistan on 27 March 2011. She was a bomb disposal specialist and had achieved the "High Threat IED Operators" status indicating great expertise.
She was mortally injured in Nahr-e-Saraj in Helmand Province
Helmand Province
Helmand is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Lashkar Gah. The Helmand River flows through the mainly desert region, providing water for irrigation....
on 18 April 2011, 22 days after arriving in Afghanistan for the second time, while attempting to disable a cluster of improvised explosive device
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
s, which defence sources said had been placed to catch out a bomb disposal expert. She disabled one device, but was hit when a second device in the chain went off. She was evacuated by helicopter to Camp Bastion
Camp Bastion
Camp Bastion is the main British military base in Afghanistan. Accommodating 21,000 people it is situated northwest of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand Province, and exists to be the logistics hub for operations in Helmand....
in Lashkar Gah, from where she was flown back to Queen Elizabeth hospital
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham is an NHS hospital in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, situated very close to the University of Birmingham. The hospital, which cost £545 million to construct, opened in June 2010 replacing the previous Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Selly Oak Hospital...
in Birmingham. She died there the following day.
Her funeral was held on 6 May 2011 at Huddersfield Parish Church. A guard of honour
Guard of honour
A guard of honour is a ceremonial event practice in military and sports as a mark of respect.-Military:In the military a guard of honour is a ceremonial practice to honour visiting foreign dignitaries, or the fallen in war, or a ceremony for public figures who have died.The commander is three paces...
from her regiment lined the steps of the church at the funeral procession and carried her coffin into the church. More than 1,000 people attended the funeral, including family, friends, military personnel and residents of Huddersfield.
See also
- Sarah BryantSarah Bryant (British Army soldier)Corporal Sarah Louise Bryant née Feely of the British Army's Intelligence Corps was the first British servicewoman killed in Afghanistan.-Career:...
, the first British servicewoman killed in Afghanistan