The father of a soldier who was killed in Afghanistan's Helmand province has said he was filled with pride as he attended a memorial and thanksgiving service for troops in Afghanistan.
Prince Edward joined more than 500 serving personnel, guests and bereaved relatives at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast for the service in honour of the Northern Ireland-based 19 Light Brigade.
The names of 83 fallen soldiers were read out during the ceremony, among them Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar who were murdered by dissident republicans in Antrim last March, and Nigel Moffett from east Belfast, who was killed in Helmand Province in May.
It was a proud moment for Nigel Moffett Snr, whose son should have been celebrating his 29th birthday next week.
"It was a beautiful thing. It was one of the most poignant points, there was a tear, it was lovely to hear him mentioned on the role of honour and Corporal Bulger mentioned alongside him," he said.
"They were the two soldiers who died on the 30th May. It was a marvellous experience just to hear his name, and pride, unbelieveable pride for me. He was a good soldier."
Arriving for the ceremony, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth predicted progress in the war in Afghanistan over the next year. He also welcomed news that the US was to deploy further troops and underlined the international importance of the conflict.
He said: "If we were to fail in Afghanistan, the consequences for Afghanistan would be profound, the consequences for Pakistan would be profound, and the consequences therefore for our safety back here in the United Kingdom would be very considerable indeed."
The troops who had lost their lives had therefore died in the service of others, he said.
He denied that the US government's target date for handover would provide succour to the Taliban and instead said progress was vital and was achievable.
He said: "I think that we can in the next year or so show some real progress in Afghanistan."
In paying tribute to his troops ahead of the service, commanding officer Brigadier Tim Radford said: "The fighting was truly ferocious, but the determination and resolve of my soldiers never wavered."
Brigadier Tim Radford, who also layed a wreath, spoke of the bravery and courage of his men during the summer offensive - Operation Panther's Claw - when they cleared one of Helmand's most heavily populated areas of Taliban influence.
He said: "The interests of the Afghan people were at the very heart of every decision we made. Despite the intense fighting there were very few civilian casualties; a testament to the great measure and judgment shown by every one of my soldiers."
© UTV News