Julian Sturdy

BBC East



Capt Hicks died a day after paying tribute to one of his men

The former Oundle schoolboy chose the latter. It cost him his life, but won him a place in the regiment's history.

Capt Hicks, from the 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment, will receive the Military Cross.

It was August 2007 and he had been commanding C Company at a forward patrol base near Sangin in Helmand Province.

His commander was on leave and it was a mark of the respect he had already earned that the Army was prepared to put the 26-year-old in charge.

The patrol base they were defending had been under ferocious attack for several weeks.

The troops were tired, getting little sleep and the previous day one of his men, Pte Tony Rawson, had been killed on patrol.

We knew he was under attack but that was the life that he chose and we have to accept that

Lesley Hicks

One of his last conversations was to convey a message of sympathy to the soldier's parents.

Capt Hicks had been on the phone to his own girlfriend back in England when the Taleban attack began.

She heard the rockets coming in and he told her: "Sorry I have to go". It was to be the last words she heard from him.

Rocket propelled grenades, heavy machine guns and mortars hit the base.

Capt Hicks climbed up a forward control tower to co-ordinate the defence.

He was hit in the chest by fragmentation from an RPG, which injured five others.

Severely injured, he is reported to have told medics trying to treat him not to administer morphine so he could return to battle.

But his injuries were so severe, he later had to be airlifted to Camp Bastion where he died from his wounds.

Afghanistan was one of the regiment's toughest tours

In a letter to Capt Hicks' parents, 1st Battalion commander, Lt Col Stuart Carver, said: "I know nothing can ever compensate for the loss of your son, but you may draw some comfort from the fact that his action undoubtedly saved the lives of some of the men and inspired by his selfless example the attack was defeated."

His mother Lesley said: "The welfare of his men was always uppermost in his mind.

"I think it was an element of the frustration, anger of what was happening and I can sum that up in sheer bloody mindedness.

"He was tired and he knew the men were getting frightened. He wouldn't ask them to do something he wasn't prepared to do.

"You only get news from his letters of what is in the media. What we have learnt what we were getting was very understated if he was in danger he wouldn't let us know or he would skim over it.

"We got to know "being busy" meant being shot at. We knew he was under attack but that was the life that he chose and we have to accept that."

Capt Hicks grew up in Cambridgeshire and spent five years at Oundle school where he joined the Combined Cadet Force.

He passed out at Sandhurst in the top platoon and had served in Iraq before deployment to Afghanistan.

He was a fine soldier and he was a fine son and a brother. But above all he was a fine man

Inscription to be put on Capt Hicks' grave

His father, Alun, a former finance director for Bespak in King's Lynn, said: "He lived life to the full and didn't hesitate when the chips were down, when an extraordinary response was required."

Speaking before the medal announcement, he said: "We would be delighted if he received an award that is representative of the appreciation of the nation for men like David and the sacrifice they have to make.

"Having said that he will always be our hero... nothing compensates for his life at the end of the day.

"The day he deployed to Afghanistan for the first time I had reason to go to his room to pick up some books or other.

"I asked him why everything was packed in boxes and he came back with a blunt reply: "If I was killed it is easier and convenient for you to collect my things."

His family has decided the inscription to be put on his grave. It will read: "He was a fine soldier and he was a fine son and a brother. But above all he was a fine man."

BBC East is making a documentary about the bravery of the Royal Anglians, to be shown later in the year.