Lance Corporal Joseph McFarlane Pool of The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, was killed in Afghanistan on Sunday 5 September 2010.

Lance Corporal Pool was serving as part of the Brigade Reconnaissance Force in Helmand province, involved in conducting operations over the last few months aimed at bettering the lives of the local people by improving security and increasing their freedom of movement.

On Sunday 5 September 2010, the Brigade Reconnaissance Force were completing an operation in the Nad 'Ali (North) district to disrupt the insurgency by denying enemy freedom of movement and were conducting a series of searches on compounds of interest.

At approximately 0700hrs during an exchange of fire with insurgents, Lance Corporal Pool was killed in action following a rocket-propelled grenade attack.

Lance Corporal Pool, aged 26, was originally from Dumfries but lived in Greenock, and enlisted in the Army in August 2003. After completing the Combat Infantryman's Course at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick he joined 1st Battalion The King's Own Scottish Borderers before the formation of The Royal Regiment of Scotland in March 2006.

He accrued a raft of operational experience during his time in the Army, completing tours of Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan; often selected for demanding specialist roles on operations on the basis of his enthusiasm and natural talent for his chosen profession. Equally charismatic in barracks as he was in the field, he prided himself on his position as a battalion Physical Training Instructor.

Lance Corporal Pool died doing a job he loved surrounded by men proud to call him a friend. He will be sorely missed by all his colleagues in both 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland and the Brigade Reconnaissance Force.

His dedication to his comrades on the battlefield was only surpassed by that to his family; his fiancée Lynsey and sons Lee and Jamie were never far from his thoughts. He also leaves behind his mother and father, Stella and Roddy, and brother Ryan.