THE father of a Royal Marine killed in Afghanistan has described the run of deaths in the elite unit as “like losing family members”.

Peter Thornton’s son John died serving with 40 Commando in 2008. The same unit has lost five men in one month since being deployed to the notorious town of Sangin.

“You follow the campaign out there anyway, and every death is a like a kick in the stomach,” said Peter, from Ferndown, whose son was 22 when he died.

“But when it’s 40 Commando, it’s like a family member. It’s a strange sort of feeling – you know what the parents are going to go through and it feels more personal.”

40 Commando is based in Taunton. The marine battlegroup has lost six men, including five Marines, since May 2.

The Ministry of Defence was last night due to name a marine killed on a foot patrol on Wednesday.

“We are still in touch with a lot of John’s troop,” said Peter. “Some of them have moved on. But we still regularly go to Taunton to see the memorial garden there with trees for each of the lads.

“They still seem like our commando unit.”

Peter said the threat from improvised explosive devices, like the one that killed his son, has gone “through the roof”’ since 2008. All five Royal Marines killed during this tour died in explosions.

The Royal Navy press office said the Royal Marines have strong recruitment in Dorset and the South West.

During 2009 to 2010, they recruited 38 other ranks through the Bournemouth office, more than twice as many men as joined The Rifles, the county’s army regiment.

The Thornton family set up a charity in memory of John, called the John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation. You can find out more at jtyaf.org.