Bereaved Royal Marine families support each other 10 years on

Since the marines died their families have joined a group to help support each other

Families of seven Royal Marine Commandos killed in Afghanistan in 2011 have completed a walk on Dartmoor to support each other and mark 10 years since their deaths.

The marines were serving with Plymouth's 42 Commando in Helmand province during Operation Herrick 14.

Since their deaths, their families have forged a group to help each other.

David Wright, whose son was killed by a grenade, said they had "lost James but had made a lot of friends".

He said: "You learn to live with it. It's a feature of our life, but we aren't defined by it."

David and Sallie Wright, parents of Marine James Wright, joined the walk and wore T-shirts to support the founder of the group who is having treatment for breast cancer

Marine James Wright, 22, became a father in the winter of 2011 but was killed before his daughter was born.

"We are lucky to have a granddaughter, his daughter Lilly," said his mother, Sallie Wright.

"She's now nine and he lives on through her," added David.

Marine Dean Mead (L) and Marine James Wright (R) were both killed in Afghanistan with 42 Commando in 2011

On Friday, the Wrights and several other families from the group called, 'The Magnificent Seven', walked a return journey of 14 miles (22.5km) from 42 Commando's barracks in Bickleigh, to Burrator, on Dartmoor.

Marine Dean Mead's family also took part in the walk.

The 19-year-old, who was killed by a bomb, was the first of the seven Royal Marines from 42 Commando to die in 2011

His mother, Amanda Jones, has taken part in group events every year since it started in 2012.

Amanda Jones's son Marine Dean Mead was the first from 42 Commando to be killed in 2011

She said: "I didn't know what to say to people, I didn't want to share my grief, I didn't want to speak about it but you never needed to.

"It was a strange connection, someone may have lost their husband, their son, their father.

"There were no words to discuss what we were going through because you just knew."

The families set off from 42 Commando Royal Marines in Bickleigh, Devon

Pam Diamond, a Royal Marines mental health nurse and the wife of a family liaison officer, is behind the group.

The day before the walk Ms Diamond finished her last day of chemotherapy for an aggressive breast cancer.

"What I've been through is one of those things in life," she said.

"I've taken the strength from how I've seen the families cope and evolve through their journey.

"What kept me going through a lot of my treatment was the knowledge that we would do this walk."

Marine Mead's sister, Jess, said: "Pam's created something beautiful in our group.

"It's never focussed on anything negative, you're allowed to feel the negative emotions if you want to, it's never shunned, but it's always something beautiful we do, like the walk."

Ms Jones added: "If Pam hadn't started the 'Mag 7' page I wouldn't have anything - not to remember him by as I would always remember him - but to mark what they've [marines] all done and what people have had to suffer because of it."