A RESERVIST who suffered fatal heat illness during an SAS training exercise has been described to an inquest as a “highly experienced” combat medic who had served in Afghanistan.

The inquest in Solihull has heard more details about the three soldiers who died as a result of the "full kit" march on the Brecon Beacons in July 2013 that saw them carrying backpacks weighing at least 49lb - not including food and water - in temperatures topping 27C (80.6F).

Corporal James Dunsby, the inquest heard, was an intelligence analyst for the Ministry of Defence and a “highly experienced” combat medic who deployed to Helmand having been a reservist in both Australia and the UK.

Already exceptionally fit, Cpl Dunsby was said, in evidence, to have upped his training to try out for special forces selection.

Cpl Dunsby died  at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, in July 2013.

Evidence also described Lance Corporal Edward Maher – a charity worker and former full-time soldier - as a “superbly fit” experienced reservist who had worked in covert surveillance with special forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and east Africa.

He had been a full-time soldier with the Royal Green Jackets

L/Cpl Maher  died at Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil, just three hours after being evacuated from Pen Y Fan mountain.

Teaching assistant Lance Corporal Craig Roberts had, the inquest heard, been a reservist with the Parachute Regiment and sought selection with reserve special forces.

In a statement read to the inquest, his mother Margaret alleged that she had been told postponing the march because of the heat meant "too much paperwork".

SAS training is the focus for the inquest which is listed for four weeks with many witnesses giving  evidence from behind a screen and identified only by letters and numbers.

The three were among 78 soldiers - 37 of them reservists - carrying backpacks weighing at least 49lb - not including food and water - that had set out on five different 26 mile routes across Pen Y Fan in heat expected to top 27C (80.6F).

Candidates had to complete the test march within eight hours and 45 minutes, each had a GPS tracker.

On the march, the inquest heard, concerns were soon raised over a number of soldiers struggling in the conditions with nine - including the three to die - recorded as having problems with the heat.

One soldier told medics he was disorientated and hallucinating, another was found nby walkers who had to activate his emergency beacon.

Evidence outlined L/Cpl Roberts and L/Cpl Maher as making good time when their GPS monitors showed they had stopped.

L/Cpl Roberts actived his emergency beacon just after 3.30pm to be found 25 minutes later.

L/Cpl Maher's tracker stopped close to the march finish line at 4.10pm. When found 45 minutes later he was not breathing.

Cpl Dunsby, on a different route, was noted as having fallen behind time just after 4pm. He was found by march supervisors within an hour.

L/Cpl Roberts and L/Cpl Maher died from hyperthermia, Cpl Dunsby from multiple organ failure

Evidence outlined to the inquest over the next four weeks will explore how the exercise was conducted, briefings given to directing staff, risk assessments  and whether there was timely intervention in the dead soldiers’ welfare.

Evidence will also outline what checks were made on forecasts that pitched the hottest day of the year and whether or not the assessment route should have been reconsidered or even aborted.

Other issued to be addressed are:

- Whether or not the assessment route should have been re-considered or aborted given the heat.

- Procedures in place in case of an emergency, what water was available and whether it was sufficient.

- Identifying whether a GPS system for tracking soldiers was working and being properly monitored

- Timeliness and adequacy of emergency response.

The inquest continues.

BACKGROUND – THE BRECON BEACONS SAS TRAINING DEATHS

Supervisors of the training exercise won’t face manslaughter charges.

In March, the CPS confirmed that an independent  review of an initial decision not to charge over the deaths had reached the same conclusion.

In a statement, the CPS said that conclusion concurred with the assessment of “ insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction” on charges of gross negligence manslaughter.

An investigation into the deaths by the health and safety executive (HSE) is on-going supported by Dyfed-Powys Police which carried out the criminal inquiry.

This review into the ruling out of criminal charges started in September last year after an appeal by two of the soldiers’ families.

The deaths saw the HSE say SAS training posed a “serious risk” to soldiers with the regiment put under orders to tackle risks revealed by an ongoing investigation.

Subsequently, the HSE s served a Crown Improvement Notice ordering the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to improve its response to heat illness risk on exercises.

That order meant an HSE inspector believed such exercises presented a serious health and safety risk.

The notice stated that the MoD as an employer “failed to make a suitable and sufficient assessment” of risks to the health and safety of the soldiers on the test, including those relating to heat illness.

With no right of appeal, the MoD had to comply over issues including the duration and intensity of the exercise, the suitability of clothing, and availability of water.

The HSE has acknowledged that the MoD "complied with the notice and took action”  ahead of the next selection test exercise in January 2014.