The two men died in an explosion in the province of Helmand
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Two British servicemen killed in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday have been named by the Ministry of Defence.
They were Captain Tom Sawyer, 26, of the Royal Artillery, and Corporal Danny Winter, 28, of the Royal Marines.
They died in an explosion while taking part in an operation against enemy forces in central Helmand province. Two other soldiers were hurt in the blast.
Their deaths took the number of British forces to die since the start of operations in October 2001 to 141.
The MoD said Capt Sawyer and Cpl Winter were taking part in a joint operation with a Danish battle group and the Afghan National Army, north east of the town of Gereshk.
Their aim was to clear compounds in a known Taliban stronghold.
'Selfless legacy'
Capt Sawyer, from Hertfordshire, had been married for less than a year. His family paid tribute to him, calling him "loyal, loud and loving".
"Tom was the best husband, son and brother we could ever have asked for," they said in a statement.
"He will leave a big hole in all of our lives, but will always be remembered as our hero."
Capt Sawyer had hoped to pursue a career in the special forces. His commanding officer Lt Col Neil Wilson said he "excelled as an instructor and mentor".
"On operations, this selfless legacy, though immeasurable, has undoubtedly helped save the lives of both Afghans and British servicemen alike," he added.
Cpl Winter, who was from Stockport, was his company's mortar expert and had previously served in Northern Ireland and Iraq.
He was described as "an irreplaceable character" and a devoted Manchester United fan.
His commanding officer Lt Col Jim Morris said he was "an exceptional marine".
"Brave, committed, extremely determined and operationally experienced, he had a gift for giving honest advice and opinion without raising hackles and he was tremendously well respected by all ranks as a result," he said.
"He was killed right at the forefront of an operation whilst providing the measured and balanced advice to his commander that had become his trademark."
Defence Secretary John Hutton said Britain owed both men "a debt".
"It was with great sadness that I learnt of the deaths of Captain Tom Sawyer and Corporal Danny Winter, one a proven mentor and leader and the other an NCO of great professionalism and experience," he said.
"Both died doing jobs they loved and for a cause vitally important to their country."
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