His company commander said the 21-year-old from Cwmbran, Torfaen, was "an astute and selfless soldier who always put his fellows ahead of himself".

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"To quote my company commander at the time when I arrived in 1975, he said 'if we hadn't have introduced internment three or four years ago I reckon we'd have gone home a long time ago, '" Mr Mercer said.

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