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An Army officer tragically lost his life after being struck by a Warrior armoured vehicle during a training exercise, an inquest has revealed. Second Lieutenant Max George, aged 26 and from Durham, died instantly on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, on 21 June 2022. The proceedings at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court disclosed that the Warrior’s safety alarm, intended to warn the driver if the rear doors were open, had been faulty since 2018.
Lieutenant Colonel Graham Watson, who led the service inquiry into the fatal incident, explained that had the alarm been functioning, the vehicle’s driver “would have almost certainly stopped.” The court heard that the malfunctioning alarm failed to alert the crew, contributing to the tragedy. This particular safety feature had been implemented on Warrior vehicles following two previous fatal accidents during the 1990s.
On the day of the incident, members of the 5 Rifles unit began their activities early, rising at 5:00 am and departing their barracks by 7:00 am. They were participating in Combat Spirit, an exercise that forms the concluding part of four courses necessary to qualify for Armoured Infantry. During the operation, two groups of soldiers converged on a target, and 2nd Lt George was ordered to disembark from the rear of the Warrior to lead on the ground. According to Col Watson, “[Second] Lt George exited the vehicle and was seen momentarily struggling either with a day sack or trying to free a radio antenna, which may have snagged.” At the same time, the student commander ordered the gunner to reverse the vehicle, while 2nd Lt George reached back inside the vehicle to retrieve his weapon.
A “clunking noise” was heard as 2nd Lt George exited, which may have led the student commander to believe that the doors were closed and that 2nd Lt George was clear of the vehicle, Col Watson said. Following the collision, the armoured vehicle remained stationary for approximately 38 to 43 seconds, during which soldiers shouted warnings and sounded horns. The exercise was officially halted at 10:25 am once a stop call was issued. The inquest also revealed that the alarm system designed to warn about open rear doors had not operated because a wire was broken.
Further details emerged indicating that the FV-511 Warrior, involved in this incident, was typically not used for disembarking troops or close combat operations. Col Watson noted that “the student commander had done the majority of his training on the FV-510, which is the platoon variant of the vehicle,” and that personnel within 5 Rifles “were not that familiar with the FV-511 and its differences with the FV-510.” Despite known faults with some of the armoured vehicles, authorities had not considered these sufficient to take the vehicles out of service.
During the inquest, a touching portrait of Second Lieutenant Max George was shared by his mother, Vivienne. She described her son as “modest and great fun,” highlighting his dedication to quietly fundraising through events like the Great North Run and Royal British Legion collections. Max was a distinguished officer who earned the Queen’s Medal for best cadet upon graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. His academic achievements included attendance at Durham School, a first-class degree in politics with Russian from Newcastle University, and a Distinction in his Master’s degree in Eastern European and Eurasian Studies with Russian from the University of Glasgow. His mother said, “Max had effortless leadership qualities and his potential was enormous. His loss has left a hole in our lives, he was the very best of all of us.” The inquest is ongoing
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