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Soldier Dies in Brecon Beacon Military Training Exercise


  • A soldier in the Rifles regiment died during a training exercise yesterday
  • He was taking part in a seven-week course to become a Platoon Sergeant
  • The cause of death has not been established but temperatures reached 25C
  • It comes after three reservists died in exercise on same hills in July 2013



A soldier has died during an Army training exercise in the Brecon Beacons on the hottest day of the year.



Cpl Joshua Hoole, 26, from Lockerbie, who was serving in the Rifles regiment at ITC Catterick, died during pre-course training for the Platoon Sergeants' Battle Course.

The infantry soldier, a corporal with the Rifles regiment, got into trouble in the Welsh hills as temperatures soared to more than 30C.


The man, who has not been named by the military but was based in Catterick, north Yorkshire, was taking part in a course ahead of a bid to become a sergeant.

It comes three years after three reservists died during an SAS selection exercise in the same hills on the hottest day of 2013.
Dering Lines infantry training school in Brecon ,emergency services where at the scence when the tragedy occurred 


Captain Doug Beattie, who has taken the course and run pre-courses, said it is a tough course, and needs to be so.

He said: 'It needs to be demanding and I don't think there should be any call that it shouldn't be demanding, I don't think anybody would want that.

'But being a demanding exercise does not mean that you do not do your risk assessments and take all precautions so that people don't get injured in doing that.

'We cannot speculate in this case and need to wait and see what the cause was.'

Actual temperatures peaked at just above 30C in Brecon, the Met Office said.



The days forecast temperature for Brecon Beacons was predicted to be in early 20's



Lance Corporal Craig Roberts, Lance Corporal Edward Maher and Corporal James Dunsby all died on the Brecon Beacons during an SAS selection exercise on the hottest day of July 2013

Phil Jolly, 53, who was walking in the hills yesterday, said: 'Ordinary hikers are struggling to walk up with light rucksacks. I don't know how these guys can do it it - they're running with a huge weight on their backs.

'I saw cooling stations where the soldiers can take on water and get checked over so it looked like safeguards are in place.'

WHAT IS THE PLATOON SERGEANTS' BATTLE COURSE?

The soldier who died yesterday was undertaking pre-course training for the Platoon Sergeants' Battle Course.


This is a seven-week course which allows Corporals to become Sergeants and involves training in general tactics and 'live firing tactics'.

the soldier was about to embark involved walking the infamous Fan Dance route used by the Army to test candidates

The Army says the course is designed to be 'both mentally and physically demanding', with students receiving 'the highest level of tuition and testing to ensure they are fully prepared for the rigors of command'.

Colour Sergeant instructors take the training, with an infantry captain overseeing the course.

The military came in for strong criticism after the deaths of three soldiers on an SAS selection exercise on the Brecon Beacons on one of the hottest days of 2013.

Temperatures on the mountain range were the same yesterday as on the day Lance Corporal Edward Maher, Lance Corporal Craig Roberts and Corporal James Dunsby lost their lives.

The three reservists, who died on the 16-mile march in July 2013, were carrying 50lbs (22kg) of equipment.

The Army had said new guidelines were in place to prevent another tragedy, after Corporal Dunsby's widow saying the military 'displayed no responsibility, no accountability and no humility'.

The Ministry of Defence escaped prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive over the three deaths in 2013, but was given a 'crown censure' - an official record of a failing to meet safety standards set out in law. 

The endurance test on which the previous deaths happened has not been made any easier, but commanders have intro




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