A SOLDIER from Burwell who was killed while serving with the Royal Anglian Regiment in Afghanistan was honoured this week by having his name added to the village war memorial.

A SOLDIER from Burwell who was killed while serving with the Royal Anglian Regiment in Afghanistan was honoured this week by having his name added to the village war memorial.

A special commemorative event held on Sunday saw the name of 19-year-old Pte Robert Hayes, added to the village’s war memorial alongside those of hundreds of other servicemen who died in conflicts ranging from the First World War right up to the present day.

The ceremony, organised by Burwell Parish Council, was attended by dozens of Pte Hayes’ friends and family as well as fellow Royal Anglians and members of the Royal British Legion.

Pte Hayes was on foot patrol in Helmand Province with his platoon on January 3 when he was killed by the blast from an improvised explosive device. The 19-year-old’s colleagues in the regiment described him as “a hugely talented and professional soldier” and spoke of his “contagious energy for life.”

Pte Hayes was also a keen sportsman and spent several seasons playing for Newmarket Rugby Club. He was praised for winning his battalion’s boxing competition on his first attempt.

Sunday’s ceremony was led by Burwell parish vicar Rev David Bush and follows the dedication of a flag-pole at Burwell Village College Primary School which Pte Hayes attended as a child.

Pte Hayes name was also added to a memorial to the Royal Anglian Regiment which was unveiled at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford in September.