Tragic soldier's mother receives Elizabeth Cross

THE mother of a soldier who was killed when a trench collapsed and buried him has been presented with the Elizabeth Cross.

Margaret Valentine, who lives in Whitburn, became the first person in West Lothian to receive the Elizabeth Cross, which is given to the next of kin of those killed in battle.

Her son, Sapper Robert Thomson, was killed in Iraq in 2004 while serving with the Royal Engineers.

Ms Valentine, 54, said: "It's comforting to receive this medal, although you do have mixed feelings because of the circumstances.

"I'd encourage any other people who have lost family members on duty to come forward and apply for their Elizabeth Cross."

Ms Valentine was awarded 42,000 damages from the Ministry of Defence in March last year after enduring six years of seeking justice for her son.

She said she was determined that the "negligence" which killed Sapper Thomson should never claim another life.

The MoD, which was strongly criticised by a judge at Edinburgh's Court of Session, apologised to Ms Valentine for her 22-year-old son's "horrific death" in Basra.

An army inquiry had blamed Sapper Thomson but Ms Valentine claimed it was a "whitewash".

She refused to accept the military's claim that her son had ignored obvious dangers and gone into the trench to collect a soil sample knowing the walls were not supported. She believes he fell into the unguarded trench. Judge Lord Bonomy attributed 80 per cent responsibility to the MoD and 20 per cent to Sapper Thomson.

Councillor Carl John, West Lothian Council's veterans' champion, said: "I was honoured to be in attendance while Margaret accepted the first Elizabeth Cross to be presented in West Lothian.

"Whilst an award can never be a substitute for a loved one, I'd encourage other West Lothian families who have lost relatives to check if they are eligible for the Elizabeth Cross, as it applies to the families of service personnel killed in action since the Second World War."

Sapper Thomson died during his fourth tour of duty in Iraq. He was a heating and plumbing engineer, installing and maintaining showers for military personnel.

However, because of manpower shortages, he was sent to help a group building a permanent jetty at Basra Palace. Due to the need to check ground stability, another soldier was using a mechanical digger to take out a trench.

The digger driver saw Sapper Thomson in the bottom of the trench and shouting for help. The side had collapsed and buried him, and rescue attempts failed.

Ms Valentine's legal team claimed supports should have been used to shore up the trench.

The MoD had contested these claims, insisting that Sapper Thomson's training would have taught him the dangers of trench digging.

Ms Valentine's solicitor, Patrick McGuire, previously described the accident as "one of the worst examples of a complete disregard for health and safety I have seen".

Ms Valentine was presented with the cross and a memorial scroll by West Lothian's Lord-Lieutenant, Isobel Brydie, earlier this month.