Teddy Hall graduate killed in Iraq
The friends and family of a Teddy Hall graduate killed in Iraq have been left “absolutely devastated” by her death. Lieutenant Jo Dyer, who graduated in 2005, was killed in a roadside bomb attack just weeks after she started infantry training in the war-torn country. Friends have paid tribute to “extraordinary” Jo, 24, a prodigious sportswoman and “one of the most popular people in the whole university”.
Lt Dyer was killed on 5 April after a makeshift bomb exploded underneath her vehicle near Basra, Southern Iraq, leaving a three-foot deep crater in the road. One female and two male soldiers were also killed in the blast, while another soldier was seriously injured. The deaths bring the number of UK service personnel who have died since the start of war in Iraq to 140.
Jo had been in Iraq for just over a month, having completed her training at Sandhurst, the elite military academy, in December 2006. She excelled at Sandhurst, where she trained alongside Prince William. The second-in-line to the throne was said to be “deeply saddened to hear the tragic news of Joanna Dyer’s death”.
A statement from Clarence House, the Royal household, added, “Jo was a close friend of his at Sandhurst and he is very much thinking of her family and friends right now and they will remain in his thoughts and prayers.” Although she had decided to join the Intelligence Corps after Sandhurst, Jo faced a tour of duty in Iraq to gain operational experience. She was the first female graduate from her year at Sandhurst to be deployed to Iraq on 24 February.
Katherine Adlington, another recent Oxford graduate, met up with Jo days before her deployment to Iraq at a send-off dinner. Adlington said, “She seemed excited, but it’s hard to tell exactly what she was feeling.” “Naturally, her friends and I were all worried for her safety. We were all fearful about her leaving and spoke about it, though not to her. “But you never, ever believe that it’s going to happen to someone you know.
She added, “Although everyone is absolutely devastated, everyone’s extremely proud of her. We’re trying to cope with it by focusing on the amazing things she achieved in her life.” Jo’s boyfriend Robin Bourne-Taylor, who is also a member of the armed forces, is said to be “devastated” by her death. Her family were “shellshocked”, according to a Ministry of Defence spokesman.
Her Commanding Officer in Iraq, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Kenyon MBE, said of her, “From a very early stage, it was evident that Jo was a talented and energetic officer who was determined to make the most of her deployment to Iraq. We very quickly came to think of her as one of us.” While at Oxford, Jo was a talented hockey player who was Vice- Captain of the Oxford girls’ team in her final year. She was known to her friends as ‘Dyer’ and ‘Bolly’.
Adlington, a close friend and hockey teammate of Jo’s, described her as “the most extraordinary person I have ever met.” “I feel honoured and so grateful to not only have known her, but to have counted her as such a close friend. “I am just so terribly devastated that it was only for such a short time. You can only take comfort in the fact that she was so widely loved and respected, and I just hope that she was aware of it.
Jo, an “extremely popular member” of Teddy Hall and the hockey team, was especially well known for her enthusiasm, wit and sense of fun - and her “infectious” smile. Adlington said, “It may sound clichéd to say her smile could light up a room, but it was absolutely true - words just seem so inadequate, though.” She added, “She has been described as the most popular girl in the hockey team, but in all honesty, I’m not sure I knew a more popular person in the whole university.
“She was incredibly smart and witty and would keep us entertained with her cutting one-liners.” Another friend, Amy Garne, said, “I’ve had such an amazing reaction from people since Dyer died - so many people have contacted me to say that Jo had made such a positive impression on them. “It seems that no matter how long she knew them, Jo was able to touch people and really influence their lives. She was always genuinely interested in people and made them feel special.
Her friends and family are now planning a memorial service in May to celebrate Jo’s life and achievements.
19th Apr 2007