Soldiers Who Have Served

Name: Martin Oliver Driver

Rank: Captain

Regimental number: 565710

Place of birth: Sheffield

Background: Martin grew up in Cudworth, near Barnsley in South Yorkshire. He attended Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield, where he developed his interest in outdoor pursuits, especially cross country, becoming school Captain. He attended and helped to organise school outings and activities, and became a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme Leader. He gained a BSc in Physics and Philosophy at the University of Lancaster, followed by an MA in Defence and Security Analysis. At the same time he set up and taught the Lancaster University Kick Boxing Club and Female Self Defence classes for students.

Army Career: Martin joined Barnsley Air Cadets in 1995, and then the 4th Battalion Parachute Regiment (a TA unit) in 1997. He was a member of Lancaster University Officer Training Corps and took part in two operational tours with 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment whilst at University: one in Northern Ireland in 2000, between undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, and one in Iraq immediately on completion of his MA in 2003.

He attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in January 2005, and took great pride in training alongside HRH Prince William in Blenheim Company.

He was commissioned into the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment in December 2006, and was deployed on Operation HERRICK 6 in Afghanistan in 2007.

After a one-year posting to the Defence School of Languages studying Arabic, he returned to the Battalion and was promoted to Captain in 2009. Later that year, in the role of Second in Command of B (Norfolk) Company, he was deployed to Afghanistan again on Operation Herrick 11.

Date of death: 15/03/2010

Circumstances: Martin was killed in action, on duty with the Regiment in Afghanistan.

Resting place: Cudworth, South Yorkshire