Welcome Home, Marine James Wright

Wootton Bassett pays final tribute to war dead

Last respects ... silent crowd watch Marine James Wright pass by

By VIRGINIA WHEELER, Defence Editor, and ALEX WEST

FOR the 163rd and probably last time the people of Wootton Bassett lined the streets yesterday to pay tribute to a fallen hero.

Hero ... James Wright, 22

Men, women and children stood ten deep in respectful silence and old soldiers saluted as the hearse bearing Marine James Wright passed by.

Such scenes have won the Wiltshire market town a special place in the nation's heart as a symbol of our gratitude and respect for our brave servicemen and women.

It started four years ago when repatriation flights were moved to RAF Lyneham from RAF Brize Norton, Oxon.

The town's people turned out in their hundreds 163 times as flag-draped hearses carried a total of 379 coffins on their way to the mortuary.

In September the flights will return to Brize Norton before Lyneham shuts next year - ending the tradition that is to see the town honoured as Royal Wootton Bassett.

Yesterday around 750 people paid their respects to Afghan hero Marine Wright of 42 Commando - more than the 500 who usually line the streets...

Please go read the rest here.

Wootton Bassett to become Royal

Repatriation ceremonies to be relocated

(file picture)

16 Mar 11

Repatriation ceremonies for those killed in operational theatres will move to RAF Brize Norton by 1 September 2011 the Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox has announced today.

The repatriation of a serviceman by C-17 aircraft to RAF Lyneham
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

The relocation of the repatriation ceremonies to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire follows the decision to cease flying operations at RAF Lyneham by 30 September 2011.

Moving repatriation flights back to RAF Brize Norton will signal the end of the cortege passing through Wootton Bassett en route to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

Prime Minister David Cameron has also announced today that the town of Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire will become 'Royal Wootton Bassett' later this year. Speaking in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister said:

"I recently made a recommendation to Her Majesty The Queen, and I am very pleased today to announce that Her Majesty has agreed to confer the title 'Royal' upon the town as an enduring symbol of the nation's admiration and gratitude. The town will become 'Royal Wootton Bassett' later this year."

Dr Fox said:

"I would like to thank RAF Lyneham for their excellent work in supporting the important task of repatriation ceremonies. I am certain that RAF Brize Norton will maintain the standard of solemnity, dignity and respect to our Service personnel killed on operations as shown by the personnel at RAF Lyneham.

"I would also like to record publicly my thanks to the people of Wootton Bassett who have chosen to pay their respects in a unique and special way.

"It is such spontaneous public support that captures the spirit of the British people, and I am very grateful for those who have participated; such gestures do not go unnoticed by those deployed on operations."...

Much more here.

Seven British fallen heroes return home

On this day when seven of our British fallen heroes are returning home, I found the following comment on FaceBook earlier:

Two planes landed in England yesterday, One brought back a group of overpaid, underachieving footballers. The other brought back seven coffins, each with the Union Jack draped over them. Footballers play for our country, soldiers FIGHT for our country. Footballers give ninety minutes, soldiers... ...give their lives. I know who I respect more. (H/T Al)

From the BBC:

Bodies of servicemen killed in Afghanistan return to UK

The bodies of seven British servicemen killed in Afghanistan have been returned to the UK.

L/Cpl David Ramsden, Colour Sgt Martyn Horton, Pte Alex Isaac and Pte Douglas Halliday died when their vehicle fell into a canal in the Helmand province.

And Sgt Steven Darbyshire, L/Cpl Michael Taylor and Marine Paul Warren, all of 40 Commando Royal Marines, were killed by enemy action last week.

The bodies were repatriated at RAF in Lyneham in Wiltshire.

The commanding officer of 40 Commando said they would prevail

A private ceremony was held at the base before the cortege passed through the nearby town of Wootton Bassett.

Thousands of mourners - soldiers, shopkeepers and well-wishers - lined the high street to pay their respects to the fallen men.

Family members placed flowers on top of the hearses as they paused for a minute's silence next to the town's war memorial, which was covered with more floral tributes.

With the death of a bomb disposal expert announced on Monday, a total of 20 servicemen have now died in June.

The soldiers were travelling to help at a nearby checkpoint when they died

L/Cpl Ramsden, 26, from Leeds, Col Sgt Horton, 34, from Runcorn, Cheshire, Pte Isaac, 20, from the Wirral, Pte Halliday, 20, from Wallasey, Merseyside, and Sgt Darbyshire, 35, from Wigan, were all killed on 23 June.

L/Cpl Taylor, 30, from Rhyl, died on 22 June, and Marine Warren, who lived in Leyland, Lancashire, was fatally injured on 21 June.

Lieutenant Colonel Paul James, commanding officer of Somerset-based 40 Commando, said: "It has been an immensely hard week for 40 Commando, and though we mark the loss of three irreplaceable men, we will not break stride.

"We owe it to the sacrifice these brave marines have made to remain entirely focused on our mission; to protect the people of Sangin in partnership with the Afghan army - and we shall....

Read more, here.

Then, I found a poem written by Pte Kevin Pollard to honour Private Craig Barber, who died in Iraq in 2007. You can read more about Pte Barber here. Pte Pollard's poem speaks to all of our fallen:

TRIBUTE TO CRAIG BARBER

Whenever the sun rises remember I am with you all / The wind will be a sign from there that I'm there with you

The moon is a guide from me that shows you I am in all your thoughts / The rain is my tears falling onto you to let you know how much I loved you

I've left you in body but not in soul / I will always be next to you

I was taken away from you but I am still there / You are all I lived for but I will never forget you

The star in my heart is always bright when you are in my thoughts / Always remember me and never forget I'm always with you

The poem read by Kevin Pollard

More here.

Anjem Choudary should be locked up

Anjem Choudary is the vocal leader of a group in Britain called Islam4UK. Choudary, who lives very well on the dole - the public tax dollar - spends all his time rallying extremist muslims in Britain. You don't have to look very deeply to know that he and his followers - thugs, all - are apparently allowed free rein within England; they get major exposure within the msm as they publicly declare that all of us infidels should be beheaded etc etc.. Police stand by as Choudary and his acolytes take over the streets of London to shout their disgusting determination to demolish all the values, and history, that we Brits hold dear. Doesn't seem to matter that when our troops return home and march through the streets in Welcome Home ceremonies, to honour their service, Choudary disciples are allowed to demonstrate against the very troops who protect their freedom of speech.

Now comes this:

Hate preacher Anjem Choudary: British troops in Afghanistan are like Nazis

Fanatical Islamic preacher Anjem Choudary yesterday caused fresh outrage by comparing British troops in Afghanistan to Nazi war criminals.

Choudary, who plans to parade through Wootton Bassett with his followers and 500 empty coffins symbolising the Muslim dead, said: "I don't see why we should swallow the atrocities taking place in Afghanistan.

"People cover them up by saying it is all an act of public duty. But we don't have conscription in this country. You can freely join the army and leave at your will.

"People can argue that guards from Nazi Germany were just doing their duty."

Choudary's plan to march through Wootton Bassett, the town famous for honouring those who have fallen in Afghanistan, continued to provoke fury yesterday.

More than 220,000 people had last night signed an online protest on Facebook.

Gordon Brown said the march would be "abhorrent and offensive." Mr Brown added: "I am personally appalled by the prospect of a march in Wootton Bassett.

"I believe we should honour those brave servicemen and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Wootton Bassett has a special significance for us all."...(read the rest here - if you must)

"abhorrent and offensive."...doesn't even begin to cover how I feel about this.

Wootton Bassett residents are, rightly, outraged:

Wootton Bassett is famous for
honouring dead soldiers returning from Afghanistan

Town defiant over Islamic march

Residents of town famous for honouring dead British soldiers returning from Afghanistan have reacted defiantly to news that a controversial Islamic group is to march through its streets.

Islam4UK - which calls itself a "platform" for extremist movement al-Muhajiroun - plans to parade through Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, in the coming weeks.

The group's website says the event is being held "not in memory of the occupying and merciless British military" but of the Muslims it says have been "murdered in the name of democracy and freedom".

Leader Anjem Choudary said the protest, involving 500 people, would be peaceful one, with "symbolic coffins" being carried to honour Muslim victims of the conflict.

But the walk will not coincide with the return of a dead soldier's body, added Mr Choudary, 42, a former lawyer from east London.

Hundreds of people regularly line the market town's High Street to watch servicemen's bodies being driven through from RAF Lyneham.

Family and friends of the fallen, shopkeepers, and British Legion members wait in all weathers to pay silent tribute to a cortege of Union flag-draped coffins.

Ex-mayor and councillor Chris Wannell said: "We don't do what we do at Wootton Bassett for any political reason at all, but to pay our respects to those who have given their lives for our freedom.

"We are a Christian country and a traditional old English market town who honour very much our Queen and country. We obey the law and pay respects to our servicemen who protect our freedom.

"If this man has any decency about him he will not hold a march through Wootton Bassett." [emphasis mine]

(Source: Evening Standard here)

Recent history proves that this 'man' has NO decency. Recent history proves that he and his followers would like nothing better than to have England as a totally muslim country. If you are even only half awake, you will know that the muslim extremists in Great Britain are well on their way to dispensing with all the values and decency that have always made Britain Great.

From where I sit, it is this very decency that is going to be the downfall of the England that is near and dear to my heart. It is long past time to fight the muslim extremists with extreme measures. We are NOT playing cricket, here.

These violent thugs - whose stated goals are the violent overthrow of the British way of life, should be told, in no uncertain terms:

NO MORE! Anjem Choudary, and all his vicious, anti-British murderers, should be locked up. Period.