Trooper Clarke planned to marry next year

Trooper David Clarke, of Littleworth, Stafford, is believed to be the youngest British soldier to have died in the conflict so far.

He was killed along with another Staffordshire soldier, Corporal Stephen John Albutt, 35, from Stoke-on-Trent, when their Challenger II tank came under fire on Tuesday morning.

The turret of their tank is reported to have been blown off in the attack, which happened in pitch darkness. An investigation has been launched.

Corporal Albutt had always wanted to be a soldier

Trooper Clarke, a former pupil of Weston Road High School, was engaged to his childhood sweetheart Rachel Furniss, 18.

Trooper Clarke's fianc�e Miss Furniss, of Great Haywood, Stafford, said the couple had met seven years ago and planned to marry next year.

"In his letters he wrote: 'If anything happens remember I love you and all the family'," she said.

"He had talked about coming out after he'd been in for four years but I knew it was just talk really for my sake, he wouldn't have wanted to."

His father, Jeffrey Clarke, 41, said on Wednesday he had still not taken in the circumstances of his eldest child's death.

"I don't feel angry I just feel numb," he said.

I am so proud of him, he had always wanted to be in the army Jeffrey Clarke

"The last time I spoke to him was eight days ago. He said to me 'it looks like we are going in now'.

"I am so proud of him, he had always wanted to be in the army."

In a statement Corporal Albutt's wife Debbie said he had wanted to be a soldier since he was a little boy.

"He was very romantic, just before he went away he planted some daffodils in our garden as a surprise so they came up while he was away.

"We loved each other deeply and words cannot express how much I will miss him."

Two other soldiers were also seriously injured when Trooper Clarke's tank was hit. All four served with the Queen's Royal Lancers.

The latest deaths follow an incident on Sunday when a British pilot and navigator were shot down in their RAF Tornado jet by an American patriot missile battery.