21-year-old Royal Welsh Fusilier Dies After Rare Cancer Diagnosis

The 1st Battalion the Royal Welsh has announced “with great sadness” the death of a 21-year-old soldier who succumbed to a rare cancer. Fusilier Jack Wilkes, originally from Tywyn, Gwynedd, was diagnosed with Burkitt Lymphoma and subsequently became too ill to complete his Lance Corporal training. Joining 5 Platoon, B (Rorke’s Drift) Company, he was initially stationed at Tidworth Barracks in 2021, followed by involvement in several overseas exercises, notably one in Estonia in 2022. His platoon commander expressed admiration for Fuslilier Wilkes’ wit, mischievousness, and cheeky disposition, noting that while these traits “made his life difficult,” they also presented challenges in terms of discipline. Fusilier Wilkes continued a family tradition of military service, with both a great grandfather and a great great grandfather having served in the Royal Welch Fusiliers. Additionally, his grandfather served for 22 years in the Army Medical Corp, and his father completed six years with the Royal Engineers. In a statement, 1 Royal Welsh described Fusilier Wilkes as: “Fusilier Wilkes was a competent soldier within the field, confident, influential and intelligent.” The statement further noted that “He very much thrived in this environment,” and concluded by characterizing him as: “An aggressive and hard infanteer, who would certainly be a soldier one would want in their platoon during a time of war.”