AN ARMY Captain who became a father in February, along with two as yet unnamed soldiers, will become the latest of ‘the fallen’ to be repatriated to Oxfordshire tomorrow.

Captain Rupert Bowers, from 2nd Battalion, the Mercian Regiment, was attached to 2nd Battalion, the Rifles, operating as an adviser to the Afghan National Army, when he was killed last Wednesday.

A Royal Marine and a soldier from the Adjutant General’s Corps (Staff & Personnel Support), who were killed at the main entrance to Lashkar Gah Main Operating Base in Helmand province by an Afghan National Army soldier on Monday, will also be repatriated.

Capt Bowers commanded a small team responsible for the training and development of the Afghan National Army based in Forward Operating Base Ouellette, in the Mirmandab region of Nahr-e-Saraj district in Helmand province.

On March 21, he was leading a patrol to clear a position of the threat of insurgents when he was killed in the blast from an improvised explosive device.

Capt Bowers was 24 and from Wolverhampton.

He leaves behind his wife Victoria and his newly-born son Hugo, as well as parents Patrick and Jane, and sister Juliet.

A statement from his family said: “Rupert was a kind, caring and thoughtful man who was selfless in his actions as a brave courageous soldier. He was a devoted husband, son and father who leaves a wife that is proud to have known him and a sister and parents whose grief is immeasurable.

“He will be sorely missed and always in our thoughts.”

Capt Bowers had been recognised for his bravery.

Lieutenant Colonel Colin Marks, the commanding officer of Combined Force Burma said: “Capt Bowers possessed the heart of a lion.

“Mentioned in dispatches for gallantry on his first of three tours of duty in Afghanistan... he was a natural choice to lead an adviser team embedded within an Afghan National Army Tolay (Company) operating in an area in the north of Nahr-e Saraj, heavily contested by insurgents.

“The bravest of the brave, he died as he lived, leading from the front in the face of the enemy.”

Capt Bowers’s son Hugo was born while he was home on leave in February.

His body is due to be flown into RAF Brize Norton at 2.30pm tomorrow.

The soldiers’ cortege will then follow the public-lined route from the airfield to Carterton’s Memorial Garden, arriving at about 4.30pm, before arriving at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford at 5.30pm. A post mortem on his body will be carried out at the hospital.

Carterton mayor Norman MacRae will host members of the family at the Memorial Garden.

He said: “Capt Bowers was clearly an outstanding soldier, but no matter how outstanding he was, this won’t make it any easier or any less desperate for his family. And now we learn of another two men losing their lives. The continuing deaths are horrendous.”