- ‘Much loved’ Callum Griffith’s death is being treated as unexpected
A 30-year-old corporal who served in the Army for 14 years and was described as the ‘gel that held people together’ has sadly died.
‘Much loved’ Callum Griffith, from the Royal Welsh regiment in Tidworth, Wiltshire, was found 12 miles away at the Heron Lodge in Wherwell, near Andover, Hampshire.
Yesterday police confirmed it was called to a property in the village where the body of a 30-year-old man was found.
‘The death is being treated as unexpected and a file has been prepared for the coroner.’
Up to ten soldiers are thought to have died in tragedies at bases in Salisbury Plain in the past four years. Crime has been ruled out in all cases.
An inquest has now opened at Winchester into Callum’s death. A spokesperson for the coroner’s office yesterday said the preliminary cause of death on January 7 was hanging.
The inquest was adjourned until December.
The Ministry of Defence – who confirmed he was a corporal – said: ‘Our thoughts are with the soldier’s family and friends at this difficult time and we ask their privacy is respected.’
The Royal Welsh regiment paid tribute to Corporal Callum Griffith on their Facebook page
In a Facebook tribute, the Royal Welsh spoke of a ‘universal agreement’ that ‘Cpl Griffith was one of the hardest working, most determined individuals in his company.
‘Diligent to a fault, he was often seen in the office before his soldiers and long after they had finished for the day, such was his commitment to them.’
The poignant tribute which expressed his ‘outstanding work ethic’ said: ‘He would simply not stop until the job was done, regardless of how long or hard the work was.
‘In addition, he was a calm and empathetic leader, with charm and an infectious humour that his soldiers and the wider company gravitated towards. Indeed, one soldier will remember him as “the big, friendly giant”, with another stating “Bud lifted the mood of a room by his sheer presence”.
‘His stories were of legend, often lengthy to the point people forgot the initial premise, they were full of humour and delivered in his calm and dry fashion.
‘A great junior leader, he was always the first to volunteer for jobs and he had the inherent flexibility to make reactive changes to work that comes of someone supremely though quietly confident in their ability.’
It continued: ‘His contagious personality made him a joy to be around, and he cultivated close friendships within and without the battalion, with one such friend stating he was “the gel” that held people together.
‘Both in work and outside of it, he provided many with a shoulder to cry on or ear to listen. Ultimately, he was a caring and lighthearted soul, who brightened up the lives of those he lived and worked with.’
An online tribute to Callum said: ‘A dearly loved son, brother, cousin, nephew, uncle, and friend. He is much loved and will always be remembered.’
It is thought Callum was a security professional with the Ministry of Defence.
His full military funeral will be held at St Giles Church, Wrexham, at the end of the month.
Church administrator Ann Owen said: ‘Military personnel will be conducting the funeral. This is clearly going to be a major event.’
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