Sergeant Matthew Telford

Sergeant Telford, aged 37, was killed in Afghanistan on 3 Nov 2009, in the same attack that killed fellow Grenadiers RSM Daz Chant and Guardsman Jimmy Major, as well as 2 British Military Policemen. The attacker was Gulbuddin Mohammed a rogue member of the Afghan National Police who caught the soldiers unawares while they were relaxing inside the compound with their helmets and flack jackets removed.
Sergeant Matt Telford was temporarily employed as a mentor to the Afghan National Police (ANP). As the Regimental Police Sergeant he was perfectly placed to work with such a team drawn from soldiers of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards and the Royal Military Police. The 16 man team had been tasked with mentoring a number of ANP, and was sent to a Police Check Point of vital importance as it provided protection to the bazaar area of Nad-e'Ali where the Battle Group Forward Operating Base was located.
Sergeant Telford was born in Grimsby on 10th October 1972. He passed out of the Guards Depot in February 1991 and was immediately posted to the 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards. On amalgamation between the First and Second Battalions in 1993, he was transferred to the 1st Battalion where he served until 2004. In 2004 he was posted to Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards where he served for two years before being detached as a Regimental Recruiter. In early 2009 Sergeant Telford returned to the Battalion as the Regimental Police Sergeant.
Sergeant Telford leaves behind his beloved wife Kerry and two sons, Harry and Callum. His size, stature and presence were entirely in line with what you would expect of a Regimental Police Sergeant. However, what you found behind the mountain of a man was a thoughtful and caring family man who would work tirelessly all hours of the day to help someone out. He was professional and meticulous in everything that he did. Sergeant Telford was a fantastically popular individual across the Battalion. He was a definite Battalion character and it was a pleasure for all his colleagues to have him back serving with the Regiment.
Lance Sergeant Roberts, Medical Sergeant, First Battalion Grenadier Guards: "Sgt Matt Telford was a big man not just in size but also in everyday life. A very professional man who was immensely proud to be a Grenadier Guard he epitomized what the Regiment are all about. Matt was a keen martial arts expert and was always keen to show this off, his favourite saying was 'grab me here and I'll will show you how to get out of it'. On grabbing him he would then proceed to put you on the floor in some ridiculous arm lock. Big-hearted and an even bigger family man, he loved his wife Kerry and his two boys Callum and Harry. I was privileged to have attended his wedding which was one of his proudest and happiest days of his life. Matt was a man I could call not only a colleague and friend but a brother. Rest in peace mate, you will be sorely missed by all who knew you."
Lance Corporal Lee Dutton, a close friend, said: "I first met Matt on return from a Northern Ireland tour in 1994 when he joined The Queen's Company. Even then as the junior Guardsman we instantly became the best of friends and through the years that friendship strengthened. When we both got married our families' houses in Pirbright were next door to each other and we spent many evening together with our families, running, or just going to the gym. Matt had an enormous personality and heart to match. He was big and strong and could always be relied on when you needed help for anything. Always with a smile on his face, he was always the first to cheer people up when they were down and cheer up any situation with some of the worst jokes I have heard or by showing a new arm lock he had learnt."

Regimental details | Soldiers