DANIEL HUMERifleman Daniel Hume, aged 22, of The 4th Battalion The Rifles, was killed by an explosion while on patrolnear Nad e-Ali, Helmand province, in Afghanistan on 9 July 2009.Born in Slough, he moved to Maidenhead where he was educated at Furze Platt Senior School and then at Reading College.He started mountain bike racing at the age of 12 joining theMountain Bike UK / SCOTT bikes squad in 2002. By the end of the seasonhe was 3rd in the national rankings, with six wins to his name. It wasclear even at this stage that he was a genuine star in the making. Moresuccess followed and in 2004 he came 42nd in the Downhill World Cup.But he accepted that he could not make a career in bike racing, despite his passion for it, and a career in the military beckoned.Initially he headed towards the Royal Marines,attending the Commando Course in 2007. Displaying his typicaldetermination and physical ability, he was nearing the end of thecourse when he took himself off for personal reasons. Over the nextyear he worked for a courier company before the call of the bugle drewhim to the Army.His Commanding Officer, Lt Col Rupert Jones MBE, said: "The Royal Marines' loss was the Rifles' gain. Intraining he was nothing short of a star; always first in everything,immaculately turned out, but always there for his mates and up for alaugh. When his friends were struggling, he was there for them with akind and encouraging word and assistance. He was a natural pranksterand up for a challenge, but despite this mischievous streak, like thevery best Riflemen, he was never caught."He only arrived in 4 Rifles at the end of April 2009 having just passed out from ITC Catterick where he was the top student.Lt Col Jones added:"Rifleman Daniel Hume always said that he wantedone day to be RSM of the Battalion. This may at first appear to be anarrogant boast from a young soldier, but in his case it was anythingbut this. He was an exceptionally gifted young man who wanted togenuinely do something with his life and it would have been a brave manto bet against him to achieve his ambitions."He added: "Rifleman Hume was the epitome of theThinking Rifleman. Early promotion beckoned and he had his eye on amove to the Sniper Platoon to join some of our very finest Riflemen.The Snipers sit at the heart of the Rifles tradition and he would haveexcelled with them. Mature and perceptive, his aspiration for the yearwas to complete the tour safely. Cruel fate has denied him this"
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