Vigil for Royal Marine

A candle-lit vigil is to be held near Taunton tonight for a Royal Marine from Somerset-based 40 Commando who was killed in Afghanistan.

Corporal O'Connor and Corporal Channing Day, from 3 Medical Regiment, both died while on patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province.

Corporal O’Connor, 27, was from Havant in Hampshire, and was serving with 40 Commando Royal Marines which is based at Norton Manor Camp, near Taunton.

He joined the Royal Marines in 2002, and was serving on his third operational tour of Afghanistan with 40 Commando, having previously been deployed in 2007 and 2009.

Tonight's vigil will be held at All Saints’ Church, Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset, at 7pm to pray for his family and to “hold in heart and mind” all of the locally-based 40 Commando Marines and their families.