A total of 18 Scottish soldiers fell in the service of their country in Iraq.

Each left behind a family in grief, mothers and fathers, wives and children.

Most fell in the sands of southern Iraq where British forces were charged with occupying the province of Basra.

Others fell farther north on the outskirts of Baghdad.

Lance Corporal Barry Stephen was the first Scottish soldier to fall in action in Iraq.

Stephen died in a rocket propelled grenade attack in Al Zubayr in Southern Iraq on March 24, 2003.

The 31-year-old ran through gunfire to reach his comrades in the Black Watch who were pinned down in their armoured vehicle. He broke the escape hatch of the vehicle to get inside to man the machine gun and return fire.

Stephen joined the 1st Battalion of the Black Watch in 1997 and served in Northern Ireland, Germany and Iraq.

He was awarded a posthumous Mention in Despatches in the Operational Honours published on October 31, 2003 in recognition of the heroism he displayed when he fell.

He is remembered on the Scone war memorial, the first new name to be added to the memorial in 60 years.

Lieutenant Alexander Tweedie died through injuries sustained in a road traffic accident while on operation in the country.

The 25-year-old - who served with D Squadron, The Blues & Royals of the Household Cavalry Regiment - was travelling in vehicle when it overturned into a canal in Southern Iraq on April 1, 2003.

Tweedie, of Hawick, was flown to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment however he succumbed to his injuries on April 22, 2003.

He joined the Army in September 2000 and was commissioned in August 2001 to serve with the Household Cavalry in Windsor.

Lance Corporal James McCue fell in the southern Iraqi town of Al Amarah.

The 27-year-old from Paisley was writing a letter home when he was struck by shrapnel from a shell which exploded near by.

Lance Corporal McCue joined the Army in 1999 and served in both Germany and Kosovo with 32 Royal Engineer Regiment Workshop (REME). In 2002, he transferred to 7 Air Assault Battalion REME.

At the time of his death, his mother Mary said: "The family and all of Jamesy's friends were shocked and saddened to hear of his death during active service in Iraq. He was a wonderful son, and those that knew him will remember his maturity and lively sense of humour.

"He talked often about how much he loved serving with the REME Air Assault Battalion, and was extremely proud when he was promoted to Lance Corporal, which was only at the beginning of this year.

"At this time words cannot express the depth of our grief, but mixed with our profound sadness there is pride in the knowledge that he died a soldier while serving his country. He will be remembered by all that knew him forever".

Private Jason Smith died from heatstroke in soaring temperatures in Al Amarah.

The 32-year-old, from Hawick, served with the Territorial Army since 1992.

Smith was a soldier with the 52nd Lowland Regiment but was serving in Iraq attached to 1st Battalion of The King's Own Scottish Borderers.

He was found collapsed in a corridor at his base on August 18, 2003. Private Smith was transferred to hospital where he subsequently suffered a cardiac arrest and died.

At the final inquest into Private Smith's death in September 2013, the coroner ruled: "Information and briefing to soldiers on hydration was inconsistent and the advice ... given to all soldiers inadequate for the conditions in Iraq. Commanders and medics were largely unaware of the formal policy on heat illness."

His mother, Catherine, said: "It was so rushed. I think that's where the problems came in. It was just: 'Get them in and get them working.'"

Fusilier Russell Beeston was the 50th British soldier to fall in Iraq.

The 26-year-old from Glasgow joined the Territorial Army in 2000 and served with the 52nd Lowland Regiment.

Fusilier Beeston died in an ambush attack in Ali As Sharqi, Maysan on August 27, 2003. He was part of a six vehicle patrol which was travelling with two prisoners.

A crowd surrounded the patrol stopping it from moving and demanded that they release the captives.

Fusilier Beeston and his fellow riflemen exited the vehicles and fired two warning shots into the air in the hope the show of force would end the stand-off.

Instead, Iraqi insurgents fired upon the patrol and Fusiler Beeston died from gunshot wounds sustained to his chest.

At the time of his death, his family said: "The family is totally devastated. Russell was a soldier doing his duty in Iraq and will be sadly missed by his family and friends".

Sapper Robert Thomson died on service in the southern city of Basra.

The 22-year-old from West Lothian was retrieving a soil sample from a freshly dug trench when it collapsed on January 31, 2004.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) called Thomson's death a "tragic accident" when it was announced.

A subsequent civil case raised by his mother, Margaret Valentine, said the MOD was at blame for the Sapper's death due to their negligence.

Lord Bonomy judged: "The failure of the Ministry of Defence to take these reasonable steps to prevent a fall into the trench, the deceased would not have fallen in. That in the circumstances was a breach of the Ministry's duty of care to the deceased at common law.

"They failed to carry out an adequate risk assessment with the result that they failed to devise and institute a safe system of work for carrying out the task of taking the soil samples. In addition, the workplace was not safe as a result.

"The Ministry's breach of the duty of care owed to Sapper Thomson caused him to fall into the trench and thus caused his death".

His mother, who was awarded damages over her son's death, said: "It has taken six years and it was never, ever about the money. My laddie died a horrific death. He struggled to get out, but couldn't.

"It was about getting here - a judge ruling that there was negligence. It was totally unsafe work and there was no regard for his safety. I always knew he never entered the trench of his own volition."

Lance Corporal Andrew Craw died from accidentally discharging his weapon in Basra.

The 21-year-old served with the 1st Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in Iraq.

He joined the armed forces in 1999 and served in Northern Ireland before his tour of Iraq.

He died on January 7, 2004 at a training range in Southern Iraq.

At an inquest into his death, the deputy coroner Andrew Walker said: "There were, according to the evidence, serious failures in the planning for the Braemar range and on the day that Lance Corporal Craw was injured, a cavalier approach to the standing orders put in place to provide for the safety of those using the range."

Fusilier Gordon Gentle died in a roadside bomb attack in Basra.

The 19-year-old was on patrol when insurgents carried out an improvised explosive attack on June 28, 2006 which killed him and injured two others.

The Land Rover which Fusilier Gentle was travelling in was not fitted with a radio scrambling device which may have prevented the bomb from exploding.

A coroner ruled: "He died as a result of injuries caused by the explosion and was unlawfully killed. It is probable that the device would not have been detonated if the escort had been equipped with an electronic counter-measure, known as Element B.

"The essential components of Element B had become available from about June 16, 2004 but had not been collected from the stores by Fusilier Gentle's unit for fitting by the support troop. Formal notification of Element B's availability had not been sent to his unit due to a clerical error within the headquarters of the national support element [the military logistics group supplying troops in theatre]."

The device was located in storage just 900 metres from the barracks in Basra.

His mother, Rose, has been a long standing opponent of the war.

Private Marc Ferns of Glenrothes died in action in Basra.

The 21-year-old was killed serving with the 1st Battalion of the Black Watch while on a patrol on August 12, 2004. The patrol was in was struck by an improvised explosive device.

Private Ferns was on his second tour of duty in Iraq.

His mother, Christine Morgan, called on British forces to be removed from Iraq after her son's death,

Morgan said: "Get them home. They are a peacekeeping force, they are supposed to have handed over to Iraq's own forces.

"How many more?"

Private Kevin McHale of Lochgelly died on operation in the Iraqi province of North Babil.

The 27-year-old was on his second tour of duty with the 1st Battalion of the Black Watch when he died in a road traffic accident on October 29, 2004.

Private McHale was travelling in a convoy when a bridge collapsed. The vehicle which he was travelling in overturned when trying to avoid the incident.

His sister-in-law Jacqueline McHale said at the time: "He was a brilliant brother-in-law and a great uncle.

"He always asked about my son and the family and always said what a great time he was having."

Sergeant Stuart Gray died alongside two of his fellow Black Watch comrades in Anbar, near Falluja.

The 31-year-old from Dunfermline was conducting a vehicle checkpoint when insurgents attacked.

A suicide bomber detonated himself after driving his vehicle towards the checkpoint. The soldiers then came under fire from mortar shelling.

A statement was issued on behalf of his mother Mary Gray at the time of his death, she said: "She is obviously deeply shocked by the news of the death of her son, yet that sadness is tinged with her pride in a much loved son who was a member of his local regiment.

"He was an experienced and professional soldier, a loving husband, father, son and brother, and a proud member of the Black Watch".

Sergeant Gray was survived by his wife Wendy and their two children Kirstin and Darren.

Private Paul Lowe was killed alongside Sergeant Gray at a checkpoint in Anbar.

The 19-year-old from Fife joined the army in 2002. He served in Germany, was deployed to Kuwait and was killed on his second tour of duty in Iraq.

His brother Paul, who was also serving in the Black Watch at the time, said: "My family and all of Paul's friends were shocked and saddened to hear of his death while serving his country with the 1st Battalion The Black Watch in Iraq.

"It is a sad time for us all and at this time words cannot express the depth of grief that my mother Helen, brothers Stuart, Shaun , Jordan and myself feel."

Private Scott McArdle was killed alongside Sergeant Gray and Private Lowe in the Anbar checkpoint ambush.

The 22-year-old was a rifleman in the elite reconnaissance platoon. The attack which killed the three soldiers was the first suicide attack which killed British personnel.

Father Jock Dalrymple, who presided over Private McArdle's funeral, said McArdle was "full of life".

He said: "Few people are as human and full of life as Scott - if he can die, so can we all.

"Not only do we have the shock of facing our own mortality, but as he can die as a result of the work of a suicide bomber, war and terrorism are brought right to the centre of life in Glenrothes, Fife, with all the fear and insecurity that that brings in tow."

His fiancé, Sarah McLaren, was pregnant at the time of McArdle's death.

Lance Corporal Allan Douglas died on duty in Al Amarah.

The 22-year-old was hit by sniper fire on Janaury 31, 2006 while he was on the roof of a police station. He was airlifted to hospital in Basra where he later died from his wounds.

The Aberdonian served with the Highlanders in Kosovo, Bosnia, Germany and lastly in Iraq.

Iraqis who supported the British occupation of the province declared Lance Corporal Douglas a "martyr".

Major General Abu Maythem, the province's then police chief, said: "This soldier died as a martyr trying to make Al Amarah safe for all Iraqis of all religions.We are all deeply shocked and sad."

His father, Walter, said Douglas was against the war. He said at the time, "He was against the war. He couldn't see the point of it.

"The lives of so many young men have now been lost - and all for nothing."

Corporal Gordon Pritchard was the 100th British soldier die in Iraq.

The 31-year-old was killed in an explosion by an improvised explosive device in the port city of Umm Qasr on Janaury 31, 2006.

Corporal Pritchard joined the armed forces at 16 and served in Bosnia, Kosovo and finally in Iraq.

His parents, Jenny and Bill, said: "He was a well-trained, well-motivated soldier serving in a regiment that he was extremely proud of, as did his father and elder brother.

"He was a loving son, and a very proud family man, and he will be deeply missed by us all."

Corporal Pritchard was survived by his wife Julie-Anne and their three children Stacey, Harrison and Summer.

Private Jamie Kerr was killed by a roadside bomb in Al Amtahiya, Basra.

The 20-year-old from Co wdenbeath was killed while serving with the 3rd Battalion of the Black Watch.

At around 1am on Janaury 28, 2007 a bomb exploded after Private Kerr and other soldiers had dismounted from their vehicle.

Private Kerr joined the Black Watch in 2005 and served in Northern Ireland before his tour of Iraq.

At the time of his death, his stepfather John Paul Ward said: "Jamie said being out there was not what he thought it would be. He was more scared than anything else.

"He said he wanted to come home and I think being out there was a reality check for him."

Private Scott Kennedy was killed in the same bomb attack as Private Kerr in Al Amtahiya, Basra.

The 20-year-old from Oakley near Dunfermline served with the Black Watch in Northern Ireland before his tour of duty in Iraq.

At the time of his death his family released a statement, which said: "We are devastated by the loss of our son, Scott. Even as a child, he was determined to join the Army and was a very proud soldier.

"His grandfather, who served with the Black Watch in Korea, was a great influence on him, and we also supported him in following his dream.

"Although we are heartbroken, we are comforted by the fact that he died doing the job he loved. Scott was a wonderful, happy-go-lucky, kind son who always had a smile on his face. He will be greatly missed by all of his family."

He was survived by his partner Victoria and their daughter - who was born some weeks after his deployment to Iraq.

Guardsman Stephen Ferguson was the last Scot to fall in Iraq.

The 31-year-old was travelling in a warrior armed vehicle in Basra City when it slid into a canal while driving at night.

He was flown to the UK for medical treatment but did not recover from his injuries sustained the previous day and died on December 13, 2007.

His humour and love of Motherwell FC was renowned amongst his comrades in the 1st Battalion of the Scots Guards.

At the time of Guardsman Ferguson's death, his parents said: "Stephen was a fantastic son, a proud Scots Guardsman, and was loved by all that knew him,"