The family of a British soldier murdered by dissident republicans in Northern Ireland just hours before he was due to leave for Afghanistan said today that he had been “cheated of the opportunity to serve his country”.
Hundreds paid their respects to Sapper Quinsey at the funeral service today at Immanuel Church in Highters Heath, Birmingham.
Sapper Quinsey, along with Sapper Patrick Azimkar, also of 25 Field Squadron, 38 Engineer Regiment, were killed on March 7th as they took delivery of pizzas in front of the main gates of the Massareene Barracks in Antrim. They were wearing desert fatigues ahead of leaving for Afghanistan on operations.
Another two soldiers and two pizza delivery men were injured in the attack. The Real IRA has claimed responsibility.
Around 200 people lined both sides of Highters Heath Lane as the coffin was carried into the church by six pall-bearers from 38 Engineer Regiment past a guard-of-honour formed by members of the Royal British Legion and an eight-man firing party from Sapper Quinsey’s regiment.
In a statement read by his commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Roger Lewis on behalf of Sapper Quinsey’s family, the 23-year-old was described as “fun, popular” with a “brilliant sense of humour”.
“He was looking forward to going to Afghanistan - he wanted to prove what he was made of. He has been cheated of the opportunity to serve his country, which is what he so desperately wanted to do,” the family said.
“Since Mark died we’ve had so many flowers, cards and messages of support. We’ve had quite a few messages from people in Northern Ireland who didn’t know Mark but were horrified by the way he died. As a family, we’ve been very touched by the outpouring of sympathy,” the statement added.
“We have 23 years of wonderful memories with Mark but we will miss him every day of the rest of our lives.”
Describing the barracks shooting as an act of utter wastefulness, Army chaplain Rev Colin Butler told the service: “The news of Mark’s death, and his comrade and friend Patrick, will be for many of us something we’ll remember for ever.
“For those of us old enough, emotions to do with the Northern Ireland of the past were reawakened. For those who are too young to have such a connection, it must be utterly bewildering.
“What did the perpetrators of this wicked event really think it would achieve? Since it was a deliberate incident, conceived and planned, what did they seek? More deaths, more events like today?
“With the killing of Constable Stephen Carroll perhaps they thought they’d begun their damnable sequence of misery.”
PA