Private Daniel Steven Prior was born in Brighton on 31 December 1983 and attended Tideway school in Newhaven. His hometown was Peacehaven but he lived in Colchester.Private Prior completed his basic training in August 2008 and was subsequently posted to the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment where he proved to be an exceptional soldier. He was a hugely valued member of the Battalion during his service in both the United Kingdom and Afghanistan and was immensely popular with all who knew and worked with him.

Private Prior had a very bright future ahead of him and had been identified as one of the next tranche of Non Commissioned Officers to be trained. Private Prior deployed to Afghanistan with D Company, 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment on 13 October 2010 where he was based at Patrol Base 1 in the Nahr-e-Saraj District of Helmand Province.

On 16 March 2011, Private Prior's unit was tasked to provide fire support for his fellow paratroopers and the Afghan National Army during a reassurance patrol in a small village in Nahr-e-Saraj. At 1242 hours Private Prior was wounded by an improvised explosive device and, despite medical care in Afghanistan and in the UK, he died of his wounds on 18 March 2011 in the Royal College of Defence Medicine Queen Elizabeth NHS Hospital, Birmingham.

Private Prior had flown back from Afghanistan four weeks previously just in time to be present for the birth of his son, Logan, and spent two weeks with his wife and baby before his return to active duty.

Sadly, Daniel's uncle, Stephen Prior, also died on active service with the Parachute Regiment during the battle for Goose Green in 1982.