British soldiers who died on the same day are named

Captain Andrew Griffiths was said to be a born leader

Two British soldiers who died on the same day - one in Afghanistan, the other in a UK hospital - have been named by the Ministry of Defence.

Captain Andrew Griffiths, 25, from 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (2 LANCS) Theatre Reserve Battalion died in Birmingham on Sunday.

L/Cpl Joseph Pool, 26, from Royal Scots Borderers, was killed in Nad Ali.

A total of 334 UK service personnel have been killed in Afghanistan since military action began in 2001.

Capt Griffiths died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham of injuries he received in an explosion in Afghanistan nine days earlier.

He was leading his soldiers on an operation in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province when he was seriously hurt.

Pride

A Ministry of Defence statement said: "He was given exceptional first aid, which undoubtedly kept him alive, before being evacuated by his soldiers and returned to the UK for further treatment."

Capt Griffiths' family said: "Andrew was a beloved son, brother and boyfriend who will be hugely missed for the joy he brought into our lives.

"We are immensely proud of him and all that he has achieved in his all too short a life. He died doing a job he loved and excelled at."

Capt Griffiths, who was born in Richmond, North Yorkshire, joined the same regiment as his father - The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.

Lt Col Robbie Boyd said: "Captain Andy Griffiths - or 'Griff' as my officers knew him - was an officer with courage, charm, values, humility and above all else a sense of fun.

"He was a man who loved his regiment and respected his men and all reciprocated. He will never be forgotten because none of our close regimental family will ever be able to forget him."

'Wonderful dad'

Earlier the MoD revealed L/Cpl Pool, who served with the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and was from Dumfries but had moved to live in Greenock, was the other soldier who had died.

He was part of an operation that was disrupting insurgents in northern Nad Ali when he was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade on Sunday.

During his time in the Army he completed tours of Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.

L/Cpl Joseph Pool had previously served in Northern Ireland and Iraq as well as Afghanistan

L/Cpl Pool enlisted in the Army in August 2003.

After completing the Combat Infantryman's Course at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick he joined 1st Battalion The King's Own Scottish Borderers, before the formation of The Royal Regiment of Scotland in March 2006.

L/Cpl Pool's family paid tribute to him, saying: "Joseph was a loving son to Stella and Roderick, brother of Ryan, loving father of Lee and Jamie and devoted partner to Lynsey.

"Joseph lived life to the full and was proud of everything he achieved in the Army, always putting others first and doing the best he could at all he did. RIP son, we will always love you."

His fiance, Lynsey Houston, added: "Joe was a loving fiance and wonderful dad of two boys aged seven and two; he was much loved and he will be missed by all his family and friends."

L/Col Charlie Herbert, commanding officer of The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, said: "Fit and tough as a butcher's dog, he had recently qualified as a Physical Training Instructor and an Anti-Tank Detachment Commander.

"I take some small comfort from the knowledge that he died doing a job that he loved and that he was so very good at.