“I WANT to make him proud – if Charlie was here, he would be doing all this anyway.”

Those were the words of widow Heather Wood, who has launched a charity in memory of her soldier husband, to support his comrades and their families.

Warrant Officer Class 2 Charles Wood, known as Charlie, was killed in Afghanistan while clearing a route through the Khushdal Kalay area of the Helmand River valley, on December 28 last year, days after organising Christmas festivities for his men.

Yesterday, surrounded by troops who were serving with her husband in Afghanistan at the time he was killed, Mrs Wood, unveiled a tree and plaque in Garth Park, Bicester, dedicated to his memory.

The new 23 Pioneer Soldier Benevolent Fund will help families of soldiers killed and wounded in action. Mrs Wood said: “Charlie did lots of work for Help For Heroes and the Army Benevolent Fund and I wanted to do something closer to home.”

Football legend Stuart Pearce, who met WO2 Wood at Wembley Stadium in 2009, and was at Camp Bastion when he was repatriated, was guest speaker at the launch.

An auction at the Pioneers’ base, St David’s Barracks, near Bicester, raised £10,000, to get the fund off to a flying start.

A string of events are being planned over the coming months, and Mrs Wood plans to run in next year’s London Marathon.

Next month she and the Pioneers will set up a running machine outside Tesco, in Pingle Drive, Bicester, and run a mile for every soldier who has died in Afghanistan.

Mrs Wood, 31, of Langford Village, Bicester, said: “I’m looking to run the 348th mile, which is Charlie. By carrying these things on it keeps his memory alive.”

Last year WO2 Wood, who joined the Army aged 17, led a 24-hour rowing challenge to raise £5,000 for Help for Heroes.

Mrs Wood added: “After the unveiling we got together to have a chat. We talked about the nice things, and good things about Charlie.”