Commanding Officer 4 RIFLES, Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Sanders OBE, wrote:

"The simple tribute above this one to Rifleman Vakabua by his fellow Fijian Riflemen says more about him than I can hope to. Nor can I match the very personal words below from his Platoon Commander, Captain Will Peltor. These are the men here in 4 RIFLES who knew him best, loved him best and will miss him the most and their feelings shine through strongly."

Captain Will Peltor, Rifleman Vakabua's Platoon Commander, paid the following tribute:

"4 RIFLES is a family. And here in Basra Palace the daily hardship and danger we face, and the sacrifices we have endured, have made us a very close one. So Vaka’s death yesterday has hurt us all deeply: a friend, a cherished brother Rifleman, a proud son of Fiji �?and one of whom Fiji can be deeply proud �?has been lost serving our country on active service.

"We have just held a service of farewell for Vaka in the dusty, stifling chapel we have made for ourselves here, just above the room where he slept with his friends. It was almost unbearably moving and the tears that flowed down the cheeks of all of us packed into the room were only disguised by the sweat on our faces. His fellow Fijians sang for him �?how they sang.

"They come from a great tradition of harmony singing, but tonight their powerful, clear, sweet voices rang out across the Shatt Al Arab, singing a hymn with more passion, faith and feeling than I have ever heard. It raised the hairs on the backs of our necks and was a fitting and wonderful tribute to a fallen friend whose faith, courage, selflessness and simple decency defined him and inspired all who knew him. Just two weeks ago, Vaka sang with equal feeling at the farewell service for Major Paul Harding, his Company Commander.

"But our sense of loss and grief is as nothing to that of his family who will be inconsolable and for whom no words of ours can ease their pain and suffering. His mother, brother and sisters in Fiji who meant so much to him - of whom he spoke frequently and with such evident love and happiness to his friends, recalling the last time they were together at Christmas - and his brother also serving here in Iraq with 1 RHA, will be quite devastated and we pray that The Lord may somehow comfort them in this dark hour and fill the emptiness in their lives.

"Vaka embodied the proud, honourable and long tradition of Fijians serving in the British Army. These remarkable men from literally the other side of the world are the best possible ambassadors for their beautiful country that Fiji could hope for. Tough, proud, independent, strong-willed, indomitable and courageous they come from a warrior tradition and make exceptional soldiers. But their unique cultural contribution also enriches any battalion they serve with.

"They are men of great faith, decency, loyalty and simple pleasures. They are no plaster saints �?few Riflemen are �?but they have a zest for life and a natural happiness of spirit that is infectious and makes them simply great company; one has only to watch them playing rugby with all the exuberant natural talent and grace that men from those islands seem born with to see it. We are very proud of them and I for one cherish them deeply.

"Vaka was all of these things and more. A big and powerful man from Nailuva Road in Suva, the capital city of Fiji, he joined, like so many of his fellow Fijians, for travel, opportunity and adventure. He joined us in December 2003 and settled well in his new home. He was a quiet, modest man, but his strength of character shone through. His taste in shirts was less discreet and he was rarely to be found wearing anything other than a colourful Fijian ‘Bula�?shirt.

"My memory is of a gentle giant; a courteous, smiling, humble man with a natural warmth of spirit, a gentle sense of humour, truly unselfish; in short a gentleman. He was also exceptionally bright. He scored top of his basic skills examination and read avidly, with a love of military history which he found inspiring.

"When I last saw him he was reading 'Redcoat' and we had a long discussion about the books we particularly loved. He loved being a Rifleman and wanted nothing more than to stay with his mates in the Platoon and talked of serving to his twelve year point. He had no desire or inclination for promotion; it was not that he lacked ambition �?his ambition was simply to be the best Rifleman he could be.

"But he was also a great soldier, and nowhere more so than out here on operations in Iraq over the last eight weeks where he rose to the dangers and challenges magnificently. Basra is dangerous and we face firefights, roadside bombs and mortar attacks on an almost daily basis. Vaka was a constant source of strength and inspiration to his fellow Riflemen and they knew they could trust him with their lives and that he would face down any danger for them.

"He repeatedly performed small acts of great courage and selflessness. One such incident occurred early in the tour when his Platoon was guarding the Provincial Joint Coordination Centre (PJCC), a small isolated and much attacked base co-located with the Iraqi Security Forces in the centre of Basra. Vaka was constantly volunteering for duty in the rooftop sangars �?the most dangerous spot.

"And when a sangar was struck with a direct hit by a mortar round severely injuring a fellow Rifleman, it was Vaka that volunteered to drive the vehicle taking him to the emergency helicopter landing site for evacuation, braving the incoming mortar rounds as he did so with several exploding very close to him. That Rifleman is now recovering in hospital and he owes his survival in part to Vaka's courage.

"Vaka’s death is a tragedy for us all and above all for his close friends and family and our hearts and prayers go out to them. They can be so very proud of him. He was simply a wonderful man who became the friend and brother Rifleman we loved and admired because of the loving and stable upbringing that they provided for him and we are so grateful to them for him. He was a quiet man, but his understated strength, faith, humility and selfless courage spoke louder than any words could.

"In death, as in life, he inspired his fellow Riflemen, his Platoon, his Company and his Battalion. The afternoon he died, his company was deeply shocked, saddened and shaken. That night we were due to conduct a vital and large Battle Group operation against some of the militias responsible for recent attacks. I spoke to Vaka’s Company �?would they prefer to be replaced on the operation in order to recover and grieve? Their response was their tribute to Vaka �?they would not let his memory and example down and their magnificent performance that night was inspired by Vaka; their resilience, courage, fighting spirit and coolness under fire were his legacy."

Sergeant Broughton said:

"Rifleman Vakabua was loved and respected by everyone in the platoon and company, he was a gentle giant that did as he was told and just cracked on with the task he was given. Although he hated running he was a keen rugby player, always walking around with a smile on his face - this epitomised Rifleman Vakabua as a true Rifleman. He will be sorely missed by his platoon and dear friends, rest in peace.�?/P>

Lance Corporal Zwijnen and Corporal Grievson said:

"Vaka was a gentle giant. He was a true Rifleman and Mortarman. He loved his rest, he loved his food, he loved his rugby and he hated running; he was a true mortarman! He was also a very capable, loyal and committed soldier who was proud of his profession. Even though he was quiet he was a legend to everyone who knew him. He will be greatly missed in mortar platoon. Rest in peace. Three rounds fire for effect followed by rate eight "Vaka" Job done."

Corporal Cox said:

"Rifleman Vakabua was a reliable and hardworking member of the platoon. Vaka would never question why, he would always just crack on with the task in hand and ensure that it was done to the best of his ability. This is a quality we could all learn from. His tragic death is a huge loss for the platoon and he will be missed greatly."

A fellow Riflemen, (who only wanted to be identified by his call sign, B30), said:

"Rifleman Vakabua was loved and liked by everyone in the company. A harmless soul who enjoyed his work and life in the army. Vaka will be missed and cherished by all. He was always smiling and laughing at anything that amused him. A warrior and Riflemen."

Rifleman Saunders said:

"I’ve been thinking a lot of all the good and funny times we had. I will miss you with all my heart Vaka; you pest!"

Rifleman Gilbert said:

"Keep smiling mate, I’ll miss our Fiji language lessons. You’ll never be forgotten, Take care."

Rifleman Milner said:

"Take care my brother and don’t bother those good looking angels like I know you’re probably doing now. You will not be forgotten."

Rifleman Sharpe said:

"Take care mate I will never forget you. You’re a cracking lad, rest in peace bro."

Rifleman Croker said:

"There will always be a gap in this platoon in which you belong. At least you won’t be doing phys up Kiwi hill any more. Rest in Peace mate."

Defence Sectretary Des Browne said:

"I am deeply saddened by the tragic death of Rifleman Vakabua. His family are very much in my thoughts and prayers as they come to terms with their loss."