ianstone
09-03-2010, 08:01 AM
Published: 3:16PM BST 28 Jul 2009
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01451/wootten-basset_1451937c.jpg As has become tradition, the coffins, adorned with Union flags, were driven to the nearby town of Wootton Bassett for a memorial procession. Photo: JULIAN SIMMONDS
Rifleman Aminiasi Toge, 26, Corporal Joseph Etchells, 22, Captain Daniel Shepherd, 28 and Guardsman Christopher King, 20, were killed in separate incidents in Helmand Province earlier this month.
The men were flown into RAF Lyneham, in Wiltshire, at 11.04am on board a C-17 Globemaster, where a private ceremony for relatives was held in a chapel.
Related Articles
Justice for Wounded campaign (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/5919060/Justice-for-Wounded-join-The-Daily-Telegraphs-campaign.html)
Bodies of four soldiers killed in Afghanistan brought home (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/5924063/Bodies-of-four-soldiers-killed-in-Afghanistan-brought-home.html)
Fixed-price rules leave injured troops battling for compensation (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/5920959/Justice-for-Wounded-fixed-price-rules-leave-injured-troops-battling-for-compensation.html)
Two soldiers killed as Panther's Claw declared a success (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/5920965/Afghanistan-two-soldiers-killed-as-Operation-Panthers-Claw-declared-a-success.html)
Justice for Wounded: Royal Marine suffered brain injury (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/5920759/Justice-for-Wounded-Royal-Marine-suffered-brain-injury.html)
MoD challenges soldiers' compensation payouts (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/5923237/MoD-challenges-compensation-payouts-to-injured-soldiers.html)
As has become tradition, the coffins, adorned with Union flags, were driven to the nearby town of Wootton Bassett for a memorial procession.
Under patches of blue sky and broken clouds, soldiers lined the streets of the town alongside Royal British Legion veterans, shopkeepers and residents to pay tribute to the fallen men.
As the cortege moved along the High Street, it passed the war memorial, which was covered in floral tributes, and a minute’s silence was held.
A lone cry from the crowd was heard over the silence as soldiers and civilians stood side by side and bowed their heads.
A few members of the crowd threw flowers on to one of the hearses before they continued with their journey.
Among the crowd were retired Captain Tom Robinson, who served with Royal Army Ordnance Corps, now known as the Royal Logistics Corps.
Joined by his wife Patricia, Mr Robinson, a former ammunition technician, came from Banbury, Oxfordshire to pay his respects to Capt Shepherd, of the 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, the Royal Logistics Corps.
Capt Shepherd, from Lincoln, died following an explosion on July 20 as he tried to clear a route in Nad-e-Ali District.
Mr Robinson, 76, said: “I held the same position as Capt Shepherd, so we wanted to be here to pay our respects to someone from our world. We want to pay respects to him and his family. The men get on with the job, and the people who are left behind are the families.”
Mrs Robinson, 72, said she found it difficult raising her three children while her husband was away in Northern Ireland.
“It must be one of the worst things to see your son or daughter sent to Afghanistan,” she said. “That’s why we’re here, to show our support.”
Former Royal Engineer Brian Brown came to Wootton Bassett with the Royal Engineers Association of Bath, West and Wiltshire.
The 78-year-old, from Melksham, Wiltshire, said he wanted to pay tribute to the four men, but was concerned the now frequently held repatriation ceremony was turning Wootton Bassett into "a circus".
He said: "It's sadly happening too regularly now. It's too frequent. When the Wootton Bassett Legion started this, they wanted it to be low key. We just want to quietly show our respect for the victims and their families."
The last repatriation to pass through Wootton Bassett saw eight soldiers returned to Britain.
The High Street was packed with relatives, soldiers and the media and as the cortege moved through the crowd clapped and threw flowers at the hearses.
Mr Brown said this was "too much".
"I don't find it respectful," he said. "I can understand a woman who has lost her husband placing a flower on the car, but clapping and throwing flowers was inappropriate."
Phil Durkin, 45, served with the Coldstream Guards - the same regiment as Guardsman King.
Guardsman King, of 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, from West Buckland, Devon, died on July 22 while on foot patrol in the Nad-e-Ali District, when he stood on an explosive.
Mr Durkin came from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, with five other former Coldstream Guards and his 12-year-old daughter.
"Even though we didn't know Guardsman King, he is part of the Coldstream family," he said. "It's only right that we spend an hour or two of our time to pay respect to him.
"Personally I think it's sad that a life has been lost, but we all took the Queen's shilling as it were, and we all knew that at some point it could happen."
Rifleman Toge, of 2nd Battalion The Rifles, from Suva, Fiji, was killed on July 16 in an explosion while on foot patrol close to Forward Operating Base Keenan, near Gereshk.
Cpl Etchells, of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, from Mossley, Greater Manchester, was killed on July 19 in an explosion while on foot patrol, near Sangin.
Guardsman King was confirmed to have died taking part in Operation Panchai Palang, or Panther's Claw, a major assault against insurgents ahead of next month's Afghan elections.
Gordon Brown said on Monday that Operation Panther's Claw had now drawn to a close and had "not been in vain". Another two British soldiers were killed in separate incidents in Helmand on Monday morning.
The deaths brought the number of British personnel killed this month alone in Afghanistan to 22 - with 191 having died since the start of operations eight years ago
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01451/wootten-basset_1451937c.jpg As has become tradition, the coffins, adorned with Union flags, were driven to the nearby town of Wootton Bassett for a memorial procession. Photo: JULIAN SIMMONDS
Rifleman Aminiasi Toge, 26, Corporal Joseph Etchells, 22, Captain Daniel Shepherd, 28 and Guardsman Christopher King, 20, were killed in separate incidents in Helmand Province earlier this month.
The men were flown into RAF Lyneham, in Wiltshire, at 11.04am on board a C-17 Globemaster, where a private ceremony for relatives was held in a chapel.
Related Articles
Justice for Wounded campaign (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/5919060/Justice-for-Wounded-join-The-Daily-Telegraphs-campaign.html)
Bodies of four soldiers killed in Afghanistan brought home (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/5924063/Bodies-of-four-soldiers-killed-in-Afghanistan-brought-home.html)
Fixed-price rules leave injured troops battling for compensation (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/5920959/Justice-for-Wounded-fixed-price-rules-leave-injured-troops-battling-for-compensation.html)
Two soldiers killed as Panther's Claw declared a success (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/5920965/Afghanistan-two-soldiers-killed-as-Operation-Panthers-Claw-declared-a-success.html)
Justice for Wounded: Royal Marine suffered brain injury (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/5920759/Justice-for-Wounded-Royal-Marine-suffered-brain-injury.html)
MoD challenges soldiers' compensation payouts (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/5923237/MoD-challenges-compensation-payouts-to-injured-soldiers.html)
As has become tradition, the coffins, adorned with Union flags, were driven to the nearby town of Wootton Bassett for a memorial procession.
Under patches of blue sky and broken clouds, soldiers lined the streets of the town alongside Royal British Legion veterans, shopkeepers and residents to pay tribute to the fallen men.
As the cortege moved along the High Street, it passed the war memorial, which was covered in floral tributes, and a minute’s silence was held.
A lone cry from the crowd was heard over the silence as soldiers and civilians stood side by side and bowed their heads.
A few members of the crowd threw flowers on to one of the hearses before they continued with their journey.
Among the crowd were retired Captain Tom Robinson, who served with Royal Army Ordnance Corps, now known as the Royal Logistics Corps.
Joined by his wife Patricia, Mr Robinson, a former ammunition technician, came from Banbury, Oxfordshire to pay his respects to Capt Shepherd, of the 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, the Royal Logistics Corps.
Capt Shepherd, from Lincoln, died following an explosion on July 20 as he tried to clear a route in Nad-e-Ali District.
Mr Robinson, 76, said: “I held the same position as Capt Shepherd, so we wanted to be here to pay our respects to someone from our world. We want to pay respects to him and his family. The men get on with the job, and the people who are left behind are the families.”
Mrs Robinson, 72, said she found it difficult raising her three children while her husband was away in Northern Ireland.
“It must be one of the worst things to see your son or daughter sent to Afghanistan,” she said. “That’s why we’re here, to show our support.”
Former Royal Engineer Brian Brown came to Wootton Bassett with the Royal Engineers Association of Bath, West and Wiltshire.
The 78-year-old, from Melksham, Wiltshire, said he wanted to pay tribute to the four men, but was concerned the now frequently held repatriation ceremony was turning Wootton Bassett into "a circus".
He said: "It's sadly happening too regularly now. It's too frequent. When the Wootton Bassett Legion started this, they wanted it to be low key. We just want to quietly show our respect for the victims and their families."
The last repatriation to pass through Wootton Bassett saw eight soldiers returned to Britain.
The High Street was packed with relatives, soldiers and the media and as the cortege moved through the crowd clapped and threw flowers at the hearses.
Mr Brown said this was "too much".
"I don't find it respectful," he said. "I can understand a woman who has lost her husband placing a flower on the car, but clapping and throwing flowers was inappropriate."
Phil Durkin, 45, served with the Coldstream Guards - the same regiment as Guardsman King.
Guardsman King, of 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, from West Buckland, Devon, died on July 22 while on foot patrol in the Nad-e-Ali District, when he stood on an explosive.
Mr Durkin came from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, with five other former Coldstream Guards and his 12-year-old daughter.
"Even though we didn't know Guardsman King, he is part of the Coldstream family," he said. "It's only right that we spend an hour or two of our time to pay respect to him.
"Personally I think it's sad that a life has been lost, but we all took the Queen's shilling as it were, and we all knew that at some point it could happen."
Rifleman Toge, of 2nd Battalion The Rifles, from Suva, Fiji, was killed on July 16 in an explosion while on foot patrol close to Forward Operating Base Keenan, near Gereshk.
Cpl Etchells, of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, from Mossley, Greater Manchester, was killed on July 19 in an explosion while on foot patrol, near Sangin.
Guardsman King was confirmed to have died taking part in Operation Panchai Palang, or Panther's Claw, a major assault against insurgents ahead of next month's Afghan elections.
Gordon Brown said on Monday that Operation Panther's Claw had now drawn to a close and had "not been in vain". Another two British soldiers were killed in separate incidents in Helmand on Monday morning.
The deaths brought the number of British personnel killed this month alone in Afghanistan to 22 - with 191 having died since the start of operations eight years ago