Army mourns 'adventurer' officer
UK soldier killed in Afghanistan on Friday named as Lieutenant Paul Mervis of Second Battalion the Rifles
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Sunday, 14, Jun 2009 09:40
The British soldier killed fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan on Friday has been named as Lieutenant Paul Mervis of the Second Battalion the Rifles.
The 27-year-old, the 168th UK soldier to die in Afghanistan since the US-led war began in 2001, was killed in an explosion near Sangin, northern Helmand province, while on foot patrol.
In his eulogy, the Ministry of Defence said the Wimbledon-born philosophy graduate had a "thirst for adventure" and led his platoon "with distinction".
Lt Mervis, who travelled in China, Israel and Namibia and worked as a journalist for The Spectator before joining the army, was praised for pulling his platoon together after the death of one of their number in the last fortnight.
His commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Rob Thomson said Lt Mervis was "utterly irrepressible".
"There was no more committed officer in the Rifles and the riflemen adored being under his command," he said.
His family Jonathan and Margaret, Hannah and Jack said in a statement: "Paul was a wonderful, loving son, brother and friend – generous and thoughtful, with an infectious sense of fun. Paul was killed doing the job he chose and loved. He was passionately committed to his men – far beyond mere duty. He had read widely about Afghanistan, and went with a genuine desire to help bring enough stability there to enable reconstruction to follow."
Lt Col Thomson added of Lt Mervis: "He read more about Afghanistan than anyone as we prepared for this tour and his empathy for the people of this fascinating country was exemplary. He had been due to move on soon to train recruit Riflemen back in Catterick which he would have done brilliantly but it is a measure of the man and his passion for those he commanded that, since our arrival here, he had, on every occasion we met, asked if he could stay on. He was already planning to return to Afghanistan next year.
"His mother and father were so proud of him and all that he had selflessly achieved and our thoughts and prayers must be with them and Paul's brother and sister at this unimaginably awful time. But this will be some solace - their son, Paul, died in command, at the front of his platoon, leading it on operations fighting in a just cause for the benefit of impoverished Afghans.
"He would want nothing more than for us to get back up onto the ramparts, with the bugle sounding, to let the enemy know that we are coming back."