A former soldier fought back tears today as he paid a heartfelt tribute to British military hero and friend James Kirby, who tragically lost his life in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.
James Kirby, aged 47, was a former Army soldier and one of three ex-British servicemen killed in the attack on Monday. Alongside him were John Chapman, 57, and James ‘Jim’ Henderson, 33. They were part of a group of seven aid workers who died while assisting in Gaza.
The team, working with the World Central Kitchen charity, was transporting food from a warehouse to alleviate the desperate hunger of Gaza’s residents when they were struck by the airstrike.
Mark Townsend, a friend and fellow soldier who served with Kirby in Afghanistan, expressed his grief while speaking about the “outstanding individual” Kirby was.
During an interview from his Somerset home with presenters Richard Madeley and Charlotte Hawkins, Townsend shared, “James was an exceptional person—always cheerful and helpful. He constantly put others before himself. People often say these things about the deceased, but James genuinely embodied them.”
Ex-soldier Mark Townsend held back tears as he today paid an emotional tribute to British military hero and friend James Kirby who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza (Mr Townsend, left, pictured with James Kirby, when they served together)
James Kirby, 47, part of the WCK security team, killed in airstrikes in Gaza on Monday
Mr Kirby’s friend Mark Townsend (pictured), who he served with in Afghanistan, today held back tears as talked on GMB about the ‘outstanding individual’ who was killed in the airstrike
The three British ex-forces heroes that were killed by the drone strike
Mr Townsend (right) spoke to GMB presenters Richard Madeley (left) and Charlotte Hawkins (centre) from his home in Somerset this morning
Townsend continued, “A fellow veteran from our Afghanistan days informed me of the news yesterday morning. It was incredibly devastating, and I couldn’t help but shed a few tears.”
Speaking fondly of his late friend he said: ‘He was always an incredibly kind bloke, as soon as I met him he was one who was quite infectious with his friendliness and his happiness.
‘And I don’t think he would ever let anybody suffer, so if he ever saw anyone who was down he would cheer them up in a good way.
‘His sense of humour was outstanding, he was always caring about somebody, he didn’t want any trouble, he was just such a kind gentleman.’
Talking about their time served together in Afghanistan, Mr Townsend said: ‘I was a medic and he was always interested in what he could do more medically if anything happened so he could help more if something went wrong. Even if he was tired he would ask to practice certain procedures and when we did get casualties he was an absolutely fantastic help.’
Mr Kirby, from Bristol, served in Bosnia and Afghanistan with the British Army before moving into private security work. According to his LinkedIn profile, he worked as a players’ escort at the 2021 Wimbledon tennis tournament.
In a statement to the BBC, his family described him as a ‘genuine gentleman’. They said: ‘Alongside the other six individuals who tragically lost their lives, he will be remembered as a hero.
‘James understood the dangers of venturing into Gaza, drawing from his experiences in the British armed forces, where he bravely served tours in Bosnia and Afghanistan.
‘Despite the risks, his compassionate nature drove him to offer assistance to those in dire need.’
Mr Kirby’s cousin Amy Roxburgh-Barry called him an ‘all-round gentleman’ who was planning to give his mother and aunt a surprise cruise after he returned from Gaza.
‘It’s just devastating that he’s fought in these wars and come home with not a scratch, and then he goes out to do something helpful, and that’s what happens,’ she told Sky News.
The World Central Kitchen charity, which organisation Mr Kirby was working for, have called for an ‘independent investigation into the IDF strikes that killed seven members’ of its team on Monday.
World Central Kitchen released pictures of all seven victims
James ‘Jim’ Henderson, a former Royal Marine, also died in the horrific attack on the convoy
World Central Kitchen volunteer John Chapman was among seven killed in Monday’s strike
In a joint statement, chief executive officer Erin Gore and executive co-chairman/ treasurer Javier Garcia said: ‘On April 1, 2024, the Israeli Defence Forces killed seven humanitarian aid workers employed by World Central Kitchen (WCK), an internationally recognised humanitarian organization.
‘The aid workers killed were nationals of Australia, Canada/US (dual citizen), Gaza, Poland, and the United Kingdom. Israel has admitted to the killings but called it “a tragic event in which our forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants” and something that “happens in war”.
‘This was a military attack that involved multiple strikes and targeted three WCK vehicles. All three vehicles were carrying civilians; they were marked as WCK vehicles; and their movements were in full compliance with Israeli authorities, who were aware of their itinerary, route, and humanitarian mission.’
The statement asked the governments of Australia, Canada, the United States of America, Poland, and the United Kingdom to join them in a third-party investigation into the attacks and ‘whether they were carried out intentionally or otherwise violated international law’.
The charity said it has asked the Israeli government to immediately keep all documents, communications, video and audio recordings relevant to the strikes.
‘An independent investigation is the only way to determine the truth of what happened, ensure transparency and accountability for those responsible, and prevent future attacks on humanitarian aid workers,’ the statement added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the attack as unintended and ‘tragic’ and pledged an independent inquiry.
It comes after WCK founder Jose Andres said on Wednesday that the Israeli military was aware of the convoy’s movements.
He told Reuters: ‘This was not just a bad luck situation where ‘oops’ we dropped the bomb in the wrong place.
‘This was over 1.5km, 1.8km, with a very defined humanitarian convoy that had signs in the top, in the roof, a very colourful logo that we are obviously very proud of.
‘It’s very clear who we are and what we do.’
Meanwhile, there is growing pressure on the UK Government to suspend arms sales to Israel, with a letter that has been signed by more than 600 lawyers, including former Supreme Court justices, published on Wednesday night.
Palestinians inspect a vehicle with the logo of the World Central Kitchen that was wrecked by an Israeli airstrike in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday
The letter said the Government risks breaching international law by continuing to allow the export of weapons to Israel.
Signatories, including former Supreme Court president Lady Hale, said the worsening situation in Gaza and the International Court of Justice’s conclusion that there is a ‘plausible risk of genocide’ obliges the UK to suspend arms sales to the country.
This comes after it was reported last night that Britain risks breaching international law by continuing to allow the export of weapons to Israel, more than 600 legal experts last night warned Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The lawyers and experts, including former Supreme Court justices, said in a letter that the worsening situation in Gaza and the International Court of Justice’s conclusion that there was a ‘plausible risk of genocide’ obliged the UK to suspend arms sales to the country.
It came at the end of a day of cross-party calls pressuring the Government to suspend arms exports to Israel following the news that three British nationals were among the seven aid workers killed on Monday night.
Signatories including former Supreme Court President Lady Hale, former Supreme Court justices Lord Sumption and Lord Wilson, along with nine other judges and 69 KCs.
It comes as Israeli military sources warn that the Israeli units who killed the World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers, including three British veterans, are ‘out of control’ and ‘do whatever they like’ – despite assurances from Israel the strikes were a ‘grave mistake’ caused by ‘misidentification’.
