The first Military Cross holder to die in battle in living memory was killed in the badlands of Afghanistan on Monday, September 21.
Sergeant Mike Lockett, 29, became the 217th British soldier killed in the Afghan horror as he was caught in a roadside bomb blast in the Gereshk district of the Helmand province, according to The Sun.
The acting sergeant, known as "Locky" to his men in 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment, was awarded the Military Cross in 2007 for his courage in saving wounded comrades.
He selfless dashed back three times to pull four ambushed men from certain death.
It is regarded as one of the most outstanding rescues of the Afghan war.
After the Queen pinned his medal on him, Sergeant Locke said, "You've got guys out there - and you're not leaving them," reported the Sun Newspaper in the United Kingdom.
He was honoured for "unshakeable bravery".
He is survived by his partner Belinda English and three children Connor, eight, Chloe, seven, and Courtney, five. "For Queen and country," his wife said of his sacrifice.
"Sergeant Lockett's raw bravery and selflessness cost him his life but undoubtedly saved that of one his soldiers," said Company commander Major Bob Moorhouse.
The last Military Cross holder killed on operations was SAS Major James Stenner, victim of a 2004 car crash outside of battle in Baghdad.
