THE wife of a Bicester-based soldier killed in Afghanistan paid tribute to her karaoke- loving, fundraising husband last night.

Warrant Officer Class 2 Charles Wood, know as Charlie, died in an explosion in the war zone last month.

His body was repatriated to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital on Thursday.

WO2 Wood, 34, who was based with the 23 Pioneer Regiment, was killed clearing a route through the Khushdal Kalay area of the Helmand river valley, on December 28.

Yesterday his wife Heather, 31, described her husband as her best friend and a “fiercely proud soldier and pioneer”.

She said: “Charlie was very certainly a giver rather than a taker and the most thoughtful person I’d ever met in my life. He was a real family man and had three nieces who he absolutely adored.

“He sent them a letter on Christmas Day saying he loved and missed them, happy Christmas and to look after auntie Heather as I spent Christmas with them.

“There was not a bad bone in his body and he never held a grudge. He was just a really nice guy.”

WO2 Wood, who was based at St David’s Barracks, was an advanced search adviser with the Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force.

He also helped to train Afghanistan police officers.

WO2 Wood, a Middles- borough Football Club fan, joined the Army at 17 and was promoted to the rank of WO2 at the age of 32. He completed tours of Bosnia and Iraq. He also represented the Army in skiing, triathlon and football.

Recently WO2 Wood led a 24-hour rowing challenge raising £5,000 for Help for Heroes and also raised funds by running 1km for every soldier who had been killed in Afghanistan.

Mrs Wood, who heads a team of financial advisers for bank Lloyds TSB, said: “He was fiercely proud and loyal to the regiment.

“Lots of his younger soldiers said they had learned from Charlie to be better men and better soldiers.”

WO2 Wood’s funeral will take place on Friday, January 21, and he will be given full military honours.

Comrades from St David’s Barracks will carry his coffin and shots will be fired in salute.

Mrs Wood said she will wear her husband’s seven medals for the service and plans to read a tribute to her husband.

His three nieces have also written a eulogy, which will be read out on their behalf.

Mrs Wood, of Langford Village, Bicester, also pledged to continue her husband’s charity work.

The couple met in Surrey at a pub, where WO2 Wood sang karaoke, and married three years later.

Mrs Wood said: “If you met him he was hopeless at small talk, yet give him a microphone and suddenly he came into his own.

“He liked the attention. He’s probably loving all this now.

“He was very funny, he was a good laugh.”

bicester@oxfordmail.co.uk