Acting Serjeant McGrath was killed as a result of an explosion in Gereshk District, Helmand province, on the afternoon of 16 September 2009, dying from his wounds before he could be extracted to hospital.
Serjeant Stuart McGrath, aged 28, was born in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, on 5 December 1980. He began his Army training in October 1999 and joined 1st Battalion The Royal Green Jackets in June the following year (The Royal Green Jackets was one of five infantry regiments which combined to form The Rifles in 2007).
He made an early start to junior leadership, completing a Junior Non Commissioned Officer (JNCO) Cadre in November 2001. From an early stage he specialised in mortaring, completing both standard and advanced mortar courses with excellent results in 2004 and 2005.
From the beginning he stood out as a fiercely bright and determined individual. Not being satisfied with the standard career path for a Mortarman, he put himself forward to attend the Platoon Serjeants' Battle Course following his tour in Afghanistan; he wanted to push himself into the most demanding roles the Army had to offer.
An intensely energetic and fit Rifleman, Serjeant McGrath led a team from the Battalion to complete the Dublin Marathon in November 2008. Younger than all the others in his role, he had endless potential.
He died in an IED explosion on 16 September 2009 near Forward Operating Base (FOB) Keenan.
Serjeant McGrath leaves his wife, Emma, three sons, Ryan, Daniel, and Dylan, and his daughter, Niamh, born in June whilst he was already deployed to Afghanistan.
His wife, Mrs Emma McGrath, said:
"Stuart was a loving husband, amazing father, son, brother cousin and a friend to many. We are all so very proud of him and what he achieved. He died doing a job he loved. He is our Hero and we will never forget him."
