BRITAIN'S youngest war widow has vowed to ensure their baby daughter grows up knowing all about her soldier father, shot dead in Afghanistan.
Speaking days before the first anniversary of losing her childhood sweetheart, Sam Stone reveals she is comforted by the belief that part of Gregg lives on in five-month-old Grace.
Last week's inquest into the tragedy heard how Gregg, a 20-year-old private from Atwick, near Hornsea, was killed by the Taliban in jungle terrain, from just a few feet away, while on a rescue mission.
At 21, Sam is the youngest war widow of the conflict in Afghanistan, where 444 British lives have been lost since 2001.
She said: "I know Gregg would have been proud of us.
"Having Grace has helped. It's like we have a bit of Gregg back. I am going to make sure Grace knows all about her dad and how brave he was.
"We all still talk about Gregg in front of Grace. He would have been a great dad."
Cradling Grace, wearing a T-shirt bearing her dad's photograph above the words, "For your tomorrow, my daddy gave his today," the young mum revealed for the first time how she met the teenager who would become her soulmate in year 8 at Hornsea School.
"He was the class clown," said Sam, who grew up close to the school.
"We were 13 when we met. I was the sensible one and quite good at school. But Gregg just wanted to make everyone laugh."
Gregg found out he was to become a father days before he left for Afghanistan on his first operational tour of duty.
"He was nervous about going to Afghanistan – anyone going out there is nervous," said Sam. "But he hid it from his parents Bob and Angie because he didn't want to worry them.
"He was so pleased that he was going to be a dad. We'd decided on a name.
"He had been due home on his RnR in the July. We were going to prepare the nursery for Grace.
But at 7pm on June 3 last year, his patrol, sent to rescue an Afghan policeman, stumbled into his killers in the thick vegetation.
On Friday, Sam will set out to walk 274 miles from Infantry Training Centre, Catterick, in North Yorkshire. She will arrive at Battlesbury Barracks in Warminster, Wiltshire, where the couple lived in married quarters, on the anniversary of Gregg's death. Sam said: "I wanted to do something poignant to remember Gregg."
Sam will be joined on the walk by soldiers of her husband's 3rd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (3 YORKS).
Private Lewis Murphy and Private Liam Fisher, who were both part of the mission in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province last summer.
She said: "Both places are very special.
"Gregg was very proud to be from Yorkshire, where he did his basic training, and we loved living in Warminster."
Sam will be joined on the last leg of her journey by her in-laws, as well as her own family.
She hopes to raise £5,000 for The Yorkshire Regiment Benevolent Fund.
Since Gregg's death, Sam, as well as Gregg's parents, Bob and Angie, has supported the charity, holding fundraising events across East Yorkshire.
Sam said: "It will be a very emotional day for everyone who knew Gregg."
Donate at www.justgiving.com/274mile-journey-home
