Four Royal Marine commandos were strapped to the wings of two Apache attack helicopters to rescue the body of a dead comrade killed in an Afghan firefight.

The soldiers returned to the scene of earlier fighting around a fort complex to retrieve the body of Lance Corporal Mathew Ford, who had been killed by Taleban fighters.

Reports said that soldiers from 45 Commando Royal Marines did not want their 30-year-old section commander falling into the hands of insurgents, who they feared would mutilate his body.

The drama began at about 2am on Monday when a 200-strong force, led by Royal Marines, attacked the Taleban-held Jugroom fort on the east bank of the River Helmand in Garmsir district.

After an assault by B1 bombers and 150mm artillery, the unit crossed the river in amphibious Viking armoured vehicles supported by Scimitar tanks.

Commandos then moved towards the compound’s walls, left their armoured vehicles and began a ground assault.

Military intelligence believed that the fort contained senior Taleban commanders who were orchestrating insurgency operations across Garmsir.

The fierce Taleban response forced the Commandos to retreat to their Viking vehicles, with four Commandos suffering gunshot wounds.

British commanders realised that Lance Corporal Ford was missing and reconnaissance aircraft located his body outside the fort walls.

After deciding they did not want to leave his body, the Apache pilots suggested the rescue mission.

While another Apache fired on Taleban forces, the two aircraft landed while the men searched for the body. Once it was found, they strapped it to one of the wings and returned across the river.

Lieutenant-Colonel Rory Bruce, a British Task Force spokesman said that the mission was a “leap into the unknown”, adding: “This is believed to be the first time UK forces have ever tried this type of rescue mission.

“It was an extraordinary tale of heroism and bravery of our airmen, soldiers and Marines who were all prepared to put themselves back into the line of fire to rescue a fallen comrade.”

Lance Corporal Ford was the only fatality sustained by the task force during the battle, but four casualties are in a stable condition.

The oldest of three brothers, Lance Corporal Ford was brought up in Immingham, Lincolnshire, where his mother and stepfather still live. He shared a flat in Dundee with his fiancée, Ina.

His mother, Joan, said: “We are all devastated by the news of Mathew’s death. He was a larger-than-life character who lived his life to the full.”

Lance Corporal Ford joined the Royal Marines in 2001. After training in Lympstone, Devon, where he earned the Green Beret, he joined 1 Assault Group Royal Marines in Poole. He completed military driver training and also trained as a heavy weapons specialist before joining 45 Commando in Arbroath, Scotland, in 2004. He was sent to Afghanistan last year with Zulu Company for Operation Herrick 5.

He was thinking about leaving the service to settle down and have a family, the Ministry of Defence said.

Brigadier Jerry Thomas, the commander of the British Task Force, said: “I know that this is a very difficult time for his family and his friends, but I do want to convey my sincere condolences and let them know that our thoughts are very much with them.”

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