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Inquest Hears Army officer killed by reversing Warrior with faulty alarm
The inquest heard the Warrior’s rear-door alarm had been faulty since 2018, leaving crew unaware Max George was still at the vehicle’s rear.
- On Monday, October 26, 2026, an inquest heard that Second Lieutenant Max George was killed when a Warrior FV511 tank reversed over him during a training exercise on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, in June 2022.
- Faults in the tank's safety systems prevented operators from knowing the 143kg rear door was open, an inquiry led by Lieutenant Colonel Graham Watson heard. The vehicle had nine known faults, including a snapped alarm cable identified in 2018.
- Between 38 and 43 seconds after the vehicle stopped, the student commander ordered a reversal after hearing a "clunking noise," assuming George was clear. The officer remained in the blind spot reaching for his weapon inside the vehicle.
- Colonel Watson noted the crew was unfamiliar with the FV511, which was not ordinarily used for infantry debussing, unlike the standard FV510. He stated the wrong vehicle type "should have triggered additional control measures" to manage risk.
- Vivienne and Martin George, parents of the officer, told the court his loss is a "devastating heartbreak." Tributes described George as "utterly exceptional" with "effortless leadership qualities," highlighting his emergence as a rising star in the British Army.
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'Utterly exceptional' Second Lieutenant Max George was tragically struck down and crushed by a reversing Warrior FV511 at Salisbury Plain in June 2022,
Coverage Details
Total News Sources11
Leaning Left0Leaning Right2Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution80% Center
Bias Distribution
- 80% of the sources are Center
80% Center
C 80%
R 20%
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