(Image: MOD)
A County Durham Army officer on a training exercise was struck and killed by a reversing armoured Warrior tank whose vital safety alarm was not working, an inquest has heard.
Lieutenant Max George, 26, died instantly after exiting the vehicle on Salisbury Plain in June 2022.
Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court heard the alarm, which was designed to alert the driver when the Warrior’s rear doors were open, had been faulty since 2018.
Lt George, a former Durham School pupil, was fatally injured after the Warrior’s commander gave the order to reverse at speed without realising he was still exiting.
Members of 5 Rifles were taking part in Exercise Combat Spirit when the incident happened, the inquest was told.
Lieutenant Colonel Graham Watson, who led a service inquiry into the incident, said alarms were installed after two fatal incidents in the 1990s.
He said several faults with the Warrior were known about, but none meant the vehicle should have been taken out of service.
“One was the rear door alarm cable had snapped, which was first identified on June 20 2018,” Col Watson said.
“The second one was the rear door locking plunger would not release and is stuck, which meant that the rear doors could not be locked in position.
Lieutenant Max George, 26, died instantly after exiting the vehicle on Salisbury Plain in June 2022. (Image: MOD)
“The third fault was the repetition of the first fault that the rear door alarm cable was snapped and required renewing or repairing.
“Those matters were ‘fully fit’ faults, which at the time of the accident was not incorrect.”
The inquest heard two groups of soldiers were converging on a target and Lt George was ordered to take command on the ground.
As the Warrior halted the gunner threw a smoke grenade and Lt George was ordered to exit.
“Lt George exited the vehicle and was seen momentarily struggling either with a day sack or trying to free a radio antenna which may have snagged,” Col Watson said.
“He then went to grab his weapon which was still inside the vehicle and simultaneously the student commander commanded the gunner to reverse the turret to the right in the direction of the enemy.
“The student commander checked through the periscopes and could no longer see the open doors, or Lt George at the rear of the vehicle.
“Believing Lt George was clear the student commander commanded the driver to reverse.
“Lt George was still at the rear reaching for his weapon. He was knocked to the ground.”
Col Watson said between 38 and 43 seconds elapsed between the Warrior stopping and the collision.
“There were several attempts by those who witnessed the accident to warn of the impending danger, people shouted, waved their hands, sounded their horn, unfortunately to no avail,” Col Watson added.
Lt George’s exit from the vehicle created a “clunking noise”, which may have led the vehicle commander to assume he was clear and had shut the doors, the officer said.
“This was part of his reasoning to why he gave the command for the vehicle to reverse after he waited a few seconds after hearing the clunk and not seeing anything at the rear,” Col Watson said.
“The built in alarm would have alarmed because the rear doors were open, and had that gone off the driver would have almost certainly stopped.
“In addition on the driver’s instrument panel, because the rear doors were open there should have been a light, but again because the wiring loop was damaged that didn’t light up.”
The inquest heard the exercise was using two types of Warrior – the FV-510 and FV-511 models – and Lt George’s vehicle was not ordinarily used for disembarking troops and close combat.
“The student commander had done the majority of his training on the FV-510, which is the platoon variant of the vehicle,” Col Watson said.
“In general, the crew and service personnel within 5 Rifles were not that familiar with the FV-511 and its differences with the FV-510.
“The training objectives could still be met but by providing the wrong type of vehicles, that should have triggered additional control measures to be put in place to ensure the risk was as low as reasonably practicable.”
Following his death in 2022, tributes were paid to the former Durham School pupil.
Max was described as a “wonderfully talented pupil”, having joined Durham School in 2009 and achieved the honour of being appointed Head of School in 2013 for the 2013/2014 academic year.
Paying tribute, Lieutenant Colonel Jim Hadfield, Commanding Officer 5 RIFLES said: "Max was a star that burned bright.
"Effortlessly impressive, he was a natural commander, who exuded fierce determination matched by selfless compassion.
"We loved him for it. He stood out, and still stands out; we are so much poorer for his loss. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."
A Burkitt Scholar at Durham School, Max was awarded a series of prestigious prizes for academic excellence, including the Stationer’s Prize for the publication of the Durham Eye and the Reader Prize for Spanish.
He was also Captain of Boats and an enthusiastic and dedicated member of the Combined Cadet Force.
Before pursuing his lifelong dream of joining the Army, Max read Politics (with Spanish) at Newcastle University taking a First, and then read for his Masters in Eastern European and Eurasian Studies with Russian at the University of Glasgow which he obtained with Distinction.
Read more
Students step into world of NHS careers at immersive Hartlepool hospital event
85-year wait ends as forgotten RAF squadrons finally honoured at wartime base
Glorious George - Book tells how pitman became Boro's record-breaking 59 goal hero
He was rewarded with the ultimate accolade of the Queen’s Medal when he passed out from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in December 2021.
After passing out from RMAS, Max was Commissioned into the 5th Battalion The Rifles.
His family have a close attachment to Durham School with his father, Martin George, both an Old Dunelmian and former Headmaster.
Max’s mother Vivienne was a member of the teaching staff and supported Martin during his headmastership. His father Martin, uncle Nicholas George, and sister, Claudia George, herself appointed a School Monitor, were all King’s Scholars at the school.
The George family said: “Max was killed in a training accident on Salisbury Plain early on Tuesday 21st June 2022 whilst serving with the 5th Battalion The Rifles, having fulfilled his life’s ambition in joining the regular army.
“The whole family is very proud of his outstanding achievements and his loss is a devastating heartbreak for us all.”
Kieran McLaughlin, current Headmaster of Durham School, said: “Durham is mourning the loss of a much-loved former pupil.
“Max was a bright, friendly, talented young man who had so much to give to the world. He led from the front in life, including his time here where he was Head of School in his final year.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Max’s family.”
An Army Spokesperson said: "It is with great sadness that we can confirm the death of a soldier in Wiltshire on 21st June 2022."
A eulogy posted on the MoD website noted that in his tragically short time as a Regular Officer he had already "carved out the strongest of reputations".
It said: "Admired by all ranks, he was one to watch and the commander against whom everyone else measured themselves.
"Nothing fazed him; Max had a glittering career in front of him, excited by the prospect of an imminent overseas deployment to Canada and whatever might follow."
The inquest continues.