Sergeant Peter Anthony Rayner
Today we remember Sergeant Peter Anthony Rayner from 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, who was killed in an explosion in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province on Friday 8th October 2010.
Sergeant Peter Anthony Rayner was born into a military family on 11 November 1975 in Andover. He considered his hometown to be Bradford and joined 1st Battalion The King’s Own Royal Border Regiment in 1994; the same battalion in which his father served for most of his Army career.
He joined an armoured infantry battalion based in Catterick and it is in this role that Sergeant Rayner excelled. Passing a Warrior armoured fighting vehicle driving cadre soon after his arrival, he deployed as a Warrior driver to Bosnia in 1997, to Macedonia in 1998 and again to Bosnia in 2000.
By this time he had been promoted to Lance Corporal and was honing his skills as an armoured infantry soldier by becoming a Regimental Gunnery Instructor, Driving and Maintenance Instructor, and Fleet Manager.
When his regiment moved to Cyprus he stayed in Catterick with 1st Battalion The King’s Regiment and deployed to Iraq on Operation TELIC 2, where he was employed as a Warrior Commander.
Always one to seek out a new challenge, Sergeant Rayner moved to the Anti-Tank Platoon where he completed the Milan Detachment Commanders’ Course. He deployed again to Iraq on Operation TELIC 9 with the newly-formed 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, this time as a Warrior Sergeant with Arnhem Company.
In 2009, following an exemplary performance on the Javelin Section Commanders’ Course, he deployed with Arnhem Company to Afghanistan as part of the Theatre Reserve Battalion on Operation HERRICK 11. He was based out of Patrol Base Shammel Storrei, one of the most heavily attacked bases in southern Helmand, where he performed admirably. He received the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on his return to Cyprus.
In 2010 he once again deployed to Afghanistan with Arnhem Company as the Javelin Platoon Sergeant. His bravery and courage attracted much praise and he cemented a reputation as one of the best Javelin Commanders in the Army.
He will be remembered for his pre-eminence as a Javelin Commander, for his forthright manner and for his huge personality.
Our thoughts today are with Wendy, their son Derek and all their family and friends.
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