Two mums whose soldier sons died on the same day 10 years ago after explosions in Afghanistan have described how "the floodgates opened" when they met.
Private Richard Hunt, 21, of the Royal Welsh, and Sergeant Simon Valentine, 29, of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, had never met before their deaths on August 15, 2009.
But their mums Hazel Hunt and Carol Valentine often see images of them side-by-side in TV and press reports.
The women, who both believe their sons’ deaths were in vain during a “pointless” conflict, met at a ceremony at the Royal British Legion’s National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
Hazel, of Abergavenny, told the Mirror : “I waited so long to meet Carol and when I did the floodgates opened.
“I feel like I have known her all my life and it brought me great comfort to hold her, knowing we share a pain like no other on earth.”
Carol, of Bedworth, in Warwickshire, added: “We share a deep bond over losing our children at the same time in this horrible war.
“We bring comfort to one another in a way no one else can because we don’t need to explain the devastation of our grief to each other.”
Pte Hunt and Sgt Valentine fell during the bloodiest period of the war, with 17 others being killed that August, following 22 deaths in July.
Pte Hunt was driving a military vehicle on patrol near Musa Qala in Helmand Province on August 13, 2009, when it was hit by a Taliban bomb.
His was the 15th vehicle to drive over the explosive device, which had been buried in the ground. It ripped his seat off its anchors.
Ms Hunt said: “He was flown by helicopter to a hospital over there and the doctors were able to stabilise him. He was then flown home to a hospital in Birmingham, which is were we met him.
“The doctors told us straight away that there was nothing they could do. It was just a matter of time. But we managed to spend four precious hours with him.
“At 2.15pm on Saturday, August 15, my son died. He would have been 22 the following week.”
Sgt Valentine, who had completed tours of Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan, died trying to clear landmines near Sangin, Helmand Province, later the same day.
In July, mothers of Welsh soldiers described suffering a decade of grief after their sons died fighting in Afghanistan.
Earlier this week, Hazel and Carol spent an afternoon together at the arboretum and laid wreaths at the Bastion Wall, which honours the 456 UK soldiers who gave their lives in Afghanistan.
They both plan to spend today’s anniversary grieving in private.
Carol said: “While our grieving will never leave us, our sons’ battles are over and we can only hope they are resting in peace.”
