A BRIDGE in Bosnia has been re-named in honour of a Wrexham soldier who was killed crossing it 18 years ago.
Lance Corporal Wayne “Eddie” Edwards, 26, of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, was attached to the Cheshire Regiment at the time of his death, which shocked his home village of Cefn Mawr and the entire nation.
The United Nations peacekeeper was the first British or Allied soldier to die in the bloody conflict in which the UN force was striving to keep the peace between warring Serbs, Croats and Muslims.
On the day he died in January, 1993, career soldier Wayne was driving one of two armoured Warrior vehicles escorting an ambulance carrying wounded civilians through the small Bosnian town of Gornji Vakuf.
As the convoy crossed the river bridge a sniper’s bullet struck Wayne, who was driving with the hatch open for greater visibility, in the head.
Despite frantic attempts to save him he died on the spot.
Last month his 42-year-old younger sister, Kimberley Gough, who lives in Cefn Mawr, was invited by civic leaders in Gornji Vakuf to attend a ceremony naming the bridge in honour of Wayne.
She has spoken of her pride at attending the poignant ceremony.
She said: “I flew to Bosnia the previous day and received a very warm welcome in the town from the mayor.
“There were displays of songs and dances by local people before we walked to the bridge for the ceremony.
“Apart from me, there was the British ambassador and Colonel Bob Stewart, who was Wayne’s commanding officer.
“We all made a short speech before the bridge was named.
“It was a very moving occasion and a proud moment for me knowing that the people of the town still remember my brother.
“It was a wonderful tribute to him.”
She added: “It was the first time I had been there but my mother went over a few years after Wayne died to unveil a memorial to him put up by the British Army.
“My mum died two years ago but I know she would have been so proud to have been there for this occasion.”
Kimberley said the idea for the bridge re-naming had come from local man Dzan Tumeak who as a 15-year-old boy witnessed the horror of Wayne being killed and was determined this would be fitting tribute to the brave soldier.