It is with regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death Sergeant Paul Maurice Fox, of 28 Engineer Regiment, attached to the Brigade Reconnaissance Force, who was killed in Afghanistan on Friday 26 February 2010.
Sergeant Paul Fox, from St Ives, was born in Manchester on 16th December 1975. He joined the Army and entered the Corps of Royal Engineers in August 1994 and was trained as a combat engineer and Welder Royal Engineer Class 1.
Having moved steadily through the ranks, excelling at all stages with his professionalism, he was posted to 28 Engineer Regiment, 45 Field Support Sqaudron in 2006.
In 2008 he was recommended by his Officer Commanding to join the Regiment's Reconnaissance Troop and was chosen for the Recce Selection Cadre, and having come top of the course became a Troop Sergeant with the Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF). It was with the BRF he deployed on Op HERRICK 11 in October 2009.
He was killed on the 26 February 2010 by an Improvised Explosive Device while on foot patrol in southern Nad-e Ali.
Sergeant Fox's family issued the following tribute:
"Paul was a legend not only to his loving wife, children and family but also to anyone who ever knew him. Paul was a proud soldier who will be deeply missed."
Lieutenant Colonel Matt Bazeley RE, Commanding Officer, 28 Engineer Regiment, said:
"Sergeant Paul Fox was above all else a quite outstanding man. A tremendous soldier, impressive leader, fine engineer, good friend, cracking SNCO but principally just a great man.
"He volunteered for selection and training to join the Brigade Recce Force; a job and operational environment that was made for a man of Sergeant Fox's ability.
"He had been employed as a Troop Sergeant from the start of Op HERRICK 11 and had quickly established himself amongst the very best in this demanding role. He was that good.
"His quick wit, committed sense of purpose, dedication and capacity was beyond doubt. Having been casevac'd from the field on an earlier occasion he was determined to get out of hospital and back out with his men as quickly as he could.
"His sense of duty and responsibility for them was such that he would never take a step back, always look after their interests, take the lead where others may have stumbled, drive on when situations or circumstances were against him. He was that good.
"I was lucky enough to have got to know Sergeant Fox well since taking command. He would drop in for a chat and bit of banter when passing through Lashkar Gah and he brought with him the freshness and enthusiasm of someone who was doing an incredible job, fantastically well and enjoying the challenges of that task.
"His loss is a quite shocking sadness and I know that we have lost a great Royal Engineer. While our feelings of loss are huge it is to his family and friends that our hearts go out.
"What he was to us as a colleague and friend he was even more so to them as a son, husband, friend and father. Our loss is nothing compared to theirs and our best wishes go out to them.
"Sergeant Paul Fox was the Sergeant every Commanding Officer wanted under command, the SNCO every RSM trusted, the colleague every other SNCO knew as a friend, the man every JNCO aspired to be like, and the leader every soldier depended on. He was that good; he was my best."
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Paul Foxa Fox was an amazing person. Every time you seen him no matter what was going on he would always smile and crack a joke to make everyone feel better. He was always the life and soul of any event and anyone who has ever come to know him would only agree.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts are with his wife and children and also to anyone who knew Foxa. He will be missed by all but never forgotten. R.I.P Foxa.... You will never know how loved you were x x