3 Years ago today, An outstanding young man was taken too early. Writing and reading his Eulogy was an honour albeit one of the hardest things ive ever had to do. My thoughts are with the family and friends of Spr Emori Ratu especially Sala Waqanicagica. Ni Sa Moce Itau EMORI RATU Sapper Emori Ratu was a truly outstanding person to all those who had ever met him yet I was lucky enough to have worked, served alongside and become great friends with him. I tried so hard when thinking of what to say today, such as not wanting to use any cliché’s but there is one that cannot be missed out about his smile. If ever there was a person that the saying “he had a smile that could light up a room” was about then that saying was made for Emori. Regardless of whether times were hard you could bank on Emori walking around the place with the biggest of smiles on his face and you could not help but smile yourself when you seen him, he was infectious. Emori Ratu or Ratty as he was also known joined 2 Tp, 11 Fd Sqn in 2006 and left in December 2010 before moving here to 25 Engr Regt. He was so happily married to Sala who he spoke of with so much pride and love whenever the opportunity arose. Whilst with 2 Tp he served in Iraq, Belize, Kenya, Northern Ireland and Afghanistan which is where I have one of my fondest memories that I’d like to share with you all. It was during Op Herrick 10 in FOB Inkerman when we were supporting B Coy 2 Rifles that we had embarked on a patrol on a routinely red hot day. At the farthest point of the patrol from the FOB we came into heavy contact as a Company Group and returned fire. After a period of time with no let up we began to make a fighting withdrawal back to the FOB. With the effects of the heat and an 8 hour patrol lads had started to collapse with heat exhaustion and to a man as they came through the gate of the FOB their heads were down quite literally on their chin straps. As I had been one of the first back in with Company Tac I had taken on fluids and started taking pictures of each Engineer as they come through the gate, like I say all with their heads down totally exhausted, that was until Ratty came in, carrying the Valon as he had been the point man for the platoon with a huge smile on his face. I have looked at that picture a number of times this week and it sums him up to a tee. The respect for Ratty is held so high that it can be seen by those who have gone so far out of their way to attend today. Old troop members who are now civilians have travelled from all over the United Kingdom, previous members of his chain of command from his OC, SSM, Tp Comd and Recce Sgt some of which moved on more than 12 months ago have been phoning around asking if they could attend, not being asked if they would attend. The serving lads who have come from all over the mainland due to being on course or posted, every member of 25 Engineer Regiment who have known him but just a few weeks and of course there are those who have come over from Northern Ireland. Due to 11 Squadron currently being on Pre-Deployment Training only a handful have been released, but if it were not for the current training programme then to a man they would have all been here. And yet it is not a Royal Engineer that shown me how highly regarded and thought of that Ratty was, I happened to be in Ballykinler a few weeks ago speaking to Company Serjeant Major Bell of 2 Rifles when he asked me “How is Ratty getting on?” A little confused I asked why he was asking about Ratty? “Oh, I seen him while we were in Kenya walking about with his huge smile so I chatted to him for a while and he makes me laugh” he replied. So with the recent tragic loss I sent an email to CSM Bell informing him of the terrible news and received the following email in reply, ‘Andy, I was heartbroken to hear the shattering news of Ratty’s untimely death. I have informed the men of B Company and they wish to send on their deepest condolences to his wife, family and to his work mates. From all of the officers and men of B Company who were lucky enough to have worked with Ratty we can only say that the world will be a duller place without him. An outstanding soldier, Swift & Bold’ This from infantry soldiers who had met him for just 6 months says all that is needed to be said. So if there is such a thing as the pearly gates, each of us who have known Emori Ratu will see that smile once again in the future, as he welcomes us through them. Warrant Officer Andy Walton, 2 Troop Staff Sergeant
Posted on: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 11:04:55 +0000
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