THE heartbroken fiancée of a Westcountry soldier killed by a Taliban bomb in Afghanistan has revealed he promised her he would "come home safe".

Emma Green, 19, said she last spoke to her childhood sweetheart, Trooper Joshua Hammond, on June 22 – the second anniversary of them getting together.

He died on Wednesday afternoon, just over three weeks before he was due to return on leave to Plymouth to start planning his wedding to Emma next year.

Fighting back the tears, Emma, a bank clerk from Plymstock, Plymouth, said: "We were planning to get married next year – that is what we were holding on to get us through the six months.

"He was glad to be away in many ways so that he could save as much money as possible for the wedding.

"That was his focus. I last spoke to him on our two-year anniversary.

"He said he loved me, and that he wished he could be there with me.

"He couldn't wait to see me. The last thing he said was that he loved me, and he promised he would come home safe."

Plymouth-born Tpr Hammond died in a bomb explosion while on a convoy along the Shamalan Canal, near Lashkar Gah, in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan.

The 18-year-old, who also lived in Plymstock, was serving with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment.

It was the young soldier's first major deployment and he had only been in Afghanistan for 30 days.

Affectionately known as "Hammy" by his colleagues, he was due to celebrate his 19th birthday in the desert on Thursday.

The Viking armoured vehicle he was travelling in was also carrying Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe MBE, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards who also died in the explosion, becoming the most senior officer to be killed in conflict since the Falklands war in 1982.

Flags across Plymouth were flown yesterday at half mast as a mark of respect for the young soldier.

People set up groups on social networking websites.

Emma said: "Josh was not only my brave soldier, he was a true family man who was well loved by everyone who met him.

"He was, and still is, my childhood sweetheart, my best friend and my soul mate. He deployed to Afghanistan excited to come home and start planning our wedding."

Speaking from the family home, Tpr Hammond's distraught father, Pete, described Josh as a "hero".

"He gave his life to this country – you cannot be more of a hero for doing that," the 39-year-old plasterer said. "He paid the ultimate sacrifice and we are just so, so proud of him."

Tpr Hammond leaves behind three brothers, aged between one and four, and four sisters, aged between four and 10.