Jamie Hancock

Jamie Lee Hancock was born on 30 January 1987. He lived near Wigan, Lancashire, with his brother,
also a serving soldier. He joined the British Army at the age of 18 and began his career at the
Infantry Training Centre, Catterick. On completion of the Combat Infantryman’s Course in November
2005, he was posted to 5 Platoon, Burma Company, The 1st Battalion, The Queen’s Lancashire
Regiment, serving as a Rifleman where he was involved in training to prepare other units for
operations in Iraq.

On 1 June 2006 Kingsman Hancock was posted to The 1st Battalion, The King’s Regiment, having
volunteered for a six-month tour of Iraq as part of Catterick-based 19 Light Brigade. The Regiment
amalgamated into The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment on 1 July 2006. He subsequently took part in
four months of high-intensity training with Chindit Company prior to deploying to Iraq on 21 October
as part of the Advance Party.

Despite being a junior soldier, he had been identified by his peers and his commanders as a young
man with real potential. He stood out due to his professionalism and his sheer pride in being a
soldier. As a recently qualified Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicle driver, Kingsman Hancock showed a
natural aptitude and ability that belied his relative inexperience with the vehicle and with the
challenging conditions found in southern Iraq.

His Platoon will remember him fondly as an outgoing, gregarious practical joker. He was never short
of anything to say, whether it was a one-liner or a kind word of encouragement. His friends knew him
as a great listener and he was regarded by many as an elder-brother figure. When off duty, he was
always the life and soul of the party and his friends saw him as a constant source of morale within
the team. He was very much a free spirit and could always be relied upon for help or advice.

In his short time in the Company he made a real impression on all ranks. He will be remembered as a
friend, a comrade, and an outstanding soldier. He will be sorely missed and his loss will greatly
affect those who were fortunate enough to have known him.