 The crash was the biggest loss of life for the RAF in two years |
The widow of a British serviceman, who died when the aircraft he was in crashed in Afghanistan, has paid tribute to her husband at his funeral. Flt Lt Leigh Mitchelmore, 28, from Bournemouth, Dorset, was among 12 RAF Kinloss crewmen who died in the crash near Kandahar in September.
It is thought the Nimrod MR2 plane came down because of a technical fault.
At Christchurch Priory, Dorset, on Wednesday, his widow Claire said all the dead men were "brave heroes".
The crash, which also claimed the life of a Royal Marine and an army soldier, was the biggest loss of life for the RAF in two years.
Mrs Michelmore said: "My beautiful husband is in a better place with 13 other fantastic and brave heroes and I am so honoured to have had six-and-a-half happy years together.
'Highly enthusiastic'
"I will never let his memory die as he was an exceptional person, wonderful husband and a daddy in a million."
Mrs Mitchelmore said she and her husband, a University of Southampton law graduate had settled in Scotland, and had just bought their dream home.
Mr Michelmore's colleagues acted as pall-bearers at the service, which was conducted by the Reverend Graham Collingwood, a former military chaplain at RAF Kinloss.
An MoD statement described Flt Lt Mitchelmore as "young and highly enthusiastic" with a "very bright future".
He leaves behind Claire, and children Faye, three, and six-month-old Hayden.
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