Full military funeral planned for Afghanistan victim

Private John 'Jack' Howard. Photo / Supplied

The New Zealand soldier killed in Afghanistan while serving with the British Army earlier this month will be given a full military funeral in Wellington tomorrow.

Private Jack Howard, 23, is thought to have been killed by friendly-fire from a United States Air Force plane in Helmand Province on December 5.

The Wellington College old boy's body was returned to the Royal Air Force's Lyneham base outside London last week. Pte Howard was serving with the 3rd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment.

The New Zealander was on a patrol 10km south-west of the provincial capital of Helmand Province, Laskar Gah, when he was shot. Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched a full investigation into the incident.

The funeral will be held at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul and in lieu of flowers, donations are to be made to the Afghanistan Trust which helps to support soldiers who have been wounded in battle.

The service will be followed by a private cremation

Pte Howard was the fifth New Zealand-born soldier to die in action in Afghanistan.

- NZPA