Steven Roberts (British Army soldier)

Sergeant Steven Mark Roberts was the first British soldier to die in the 2003 invasion of Iraq on March 24, 2003. He was accidentally shot by a colleague using a tank-mounted machine gun who was trying to help Roberts as he struggled with a stone-wielding Iraqi protester at Az Zubayr, near Basra. The Iraqi protester was killed in that same incident. The gunner who shot Roberts who had not been taught that the gun was harder to aim at short range. Sgt Roberts had been serving with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, Cyclops Squadron.