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This is episode 3 of Beyond Today's Special Series Deadliest Day.

I'm Claire Reed and before we start, I just want to say that if you've just randomly

clicked on this episode or maybe your podcast app has just decided to play it I

really suggest you go back and start from episode one of the series.

We're telling a story over six episodes and you'll want to hear it from the beginning. Is the two personnel walked up the pathway, I knew what they were coming to tell me,

because we lived rurally, we didn't get visitors, we didn't even get people with Bibles or anything knocking on the

doorstep or trying to sell things we lived really really really really so really so

so it was obvious when two strangers walk up the garden path what were they

wearing they were in civilian clothing walk up the garden path. What were they wearing?

They were in civilian clothing, but military personnel carry themselves in a particular way.

So I knew that whatever news I was going to be given wasn't good news and I probably

started shaking before I even opened the door. The thought that flashes through your head is please tell me he's injured, don't tell me he's dead.

This is Lucy Oldridge.

Her son William was the youngest member of 9 platoon and he was on the patrol that day the 10th of July 2009.

He was deployed to Afghanistan on his 18th birthday as soon as he was allowed, and he died

aged 18 and 47 days, making him the youngest British soldier killed in Afghanistan.

Lucy says he was a thoughtful son, the kind of older brother who bought his young siblings their birthday and Christmas presents months in advance,

before he deployed, so they'd have something

to open while he was away.

He called home as much as he could.

Occasionally he'd literally say, mom I've got to go and the phone would just go dead and

...