Repatriation of Service personnel killed in Afghanistan
11 March 2010
The repatriation of 5 soldiers recently killed in Afghanistan took place on Thursday 11 March, with the cortege passing through Wootton Bassett at 2.45pm.
Corporal Richard Green, 23 from Reading, of the 3rd Battalion The Rifles, died on Tuesday 2 March 2010; Rifleman Jonathon Allott, 19 from North Shields, of the 3rd Battalion The Rifles, died on Friday 5 March 2010; Rifleman Liam Maughan, 18 from Doncaster, of 3rd Battalion The Rifles, died on Saturday 6 March 2010; Lance Corporal Tom Keogh, 24 from Paddington, of 4th Battalion The Rifles and Corporal Stephen Thompson, 31 from Bovey Tracey in Devon, of the 1st Battalion The Rifles, both died on Sunday 7 March.
Hundreds of Royal British Legion members, veterans, shopkeepers and residents lined the streets to pay their respects - as has become customary after such repatriations.
The Wootton Bassett tributes were started spontaneously two years ago by Legion members pausing to salute the cortege from nearby RAF Lyneham, used to return all those killed on operations. Since then, the repatriation ceremonies have grown to involve the entire town and have earned widespread praise and attention.
TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited the town on Friday 29 January 2010 and met with those involved in the repatriation tributes including members of the Wootton Bassett Branch of the Legion.
The Legion's Anne Bevis and town mayor Steve Bucknell received The Sun newspaper's "Millie Award" on Tuesday 15 December 2009 on behalf of Wootton Bassett, in recognition of the town's outstanding support of the Armed Forces. The award, presented by Prince William, was won last year by Help for Heroes.
The awards were started by the newspaper in 2008 to recognise military achievement, with a special category set aside for an organisation or charity that best shows support for the Armed Forces. Said Prince William: "One of the most remarkable things is that the people are so modest, they refuse to accept any praise."
Wootton Bassett Branch was also recognised with a special award at the 2009 Royal British Legion Annual Conference, in appreciation of 'the outstanding service given by the branch in honouring the fallen Service men and women'.
"No one organised it, no one requested it," explained the Legion's National President, Lt Gen Sir John Kiszely. "It happened because it was the right thing to do, and our members stood ready to give these fallen heroes the honour they so richly deserve."
There have been over 100 repatriations passing through Wootton Bassett since RAF Lyneham was first used for this duty in April 2007. Read the BBC story on the town's involvement here.
Visit our "We will remember them" site for a list of recent casualties from Afghanistan.
