VIDEO: A special Oak tree honouring the life of fallen Warrington war hero Daniel Wade, killed in action in Afghanistan 11 years ago, aged just 20, has been planted in a memorial garden created by his mother.
The tree and a special plaque were donated by the Life for a Life Memorial Forest charity, on a unique occasion attended by members of the Warrington-based 75th Engineer Regiment Royal Engineers, where Daniel was a cadet as a young schoolboy.
In a moving ceremony Daniel’s mother Lisa Billing, who has been supported by Warrington Borough Council, hard-working volunteers and the local business community, said the tree would be an “eternal legacy” to her son.
“Too many soldiers are sadly forgotten,” she said. “That isn’t right, everyone should be remembered.”
She was joined at the event by Joe Dodd, the man who sadly had the job of knocking on her door, the day Daniel was tragically killed alongside five of his colleagues known as the “Warrior Six.”
Six Cherry Blossoms, in honour of each of the fallen heroes, are already in the memorial garden which has been created as a peaceful haven near the town’s Cenotaph.
It is the first time a single Oak tree has been planted in memory of someone by the Life for a Life charity, which manages more than 50 sites, mainly in the North West away from one of their main sites.
The Oak tree being planted in memory of Pvt. Daniel Wade
Pte Daniel Wade, along with 5 of his fellow soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb while patrolling the border of Helmand and Kandahar in their Warrior patrol vehicle.
The soldiers, who had only been in Afghanistan for a few weeks, were hit by a blast about 25 miles north of Helmand’s capital, Lashkar Gah. Ammunition on board the Warrior ignited, causing a fierce fire to burn for many hours.
The intensity of the blaze meant rescuers could not get near the vehicle and its charred shell was not recovered to the main British base in Helmand, Camp Bastion, until the following day.
In memory of Pte Daniel Wade Thank you to @BritishArmy 75 Engineer's @WarringtonMayor @warringtonworld @WarringtonBC @northwooduk @NickTurner100 @MarshallGarden1 @LifeforaLifeMF @nationaltrust a Great Oak Tree was planted for my Son Thank you to everyone making today special x pic.twitter.com/U6lbnUcwuc
— Lisa (@reallisabilling) September 27, 2023
