London Home Counties members of the RAFPA. at the
Repatriation of Sgt.Barry Weston at the JR “Final Turn” Oxford.
Bill Sykes, Pat Plumridge. Reg Lamb, Brian crossin, Mike
Lester.
Over two thousand people
gathered in Norton Way, Carterton to honour and pay their respects to Sergeant
Barry "Baz" Weston
aged 40, of 42 Commando, Royal Marines, part of the 1st Rifles, Battle Group.
Sgt Weston from Reading, was killed by a roadside bomb whilst leading a
patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj District of Helmand Province on 30th August
2011.
At approximately 1740 hours
the crowd fell silent as the cortege entered Norton Way and stopped at the
recently laid out
garden where the Union Flag was flying at half-mast. Forty standards dipped in
salute whilst Sgt Weston's Family ,Relatives and Friends placed floral tributes on
the hearse. After two minutes the cortege slowly moved off to
a spontaneous and
prolonged round of applause to make its way to the John Radcliffe Hospital in
Oxford.
Representing our
Association on this first occasion at Carterton were Jack and Vida Sharp, Vic
Smith, Ron Glover, Kim Hassall and Tony Lake with our ex - RN colleague
Phil. At the Hospital we were represented by Brian Crossin, Reg Lamb, Bob Strachan, Bill Sykes,
Mike Lester,Pat and Maureen Plumbridge with friend Gill and Graham the ex-RMP
who always joins
our members.
Tony Lake 9th September
2011
22 September 2011
Hundreds of people gathered today in order to honour two
more soldiers who have recently been killed in action in Afghanistan. This, the
second, repatriation ceremony to take place in Carterton was held to pay
respects, and say farewell, to Lance Corporal Jonathan McKinlay, 1st Battalion
The Rifles, who was killed by small arms fire while on patrol with the Afghan
Police in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province on the 14th September
and Marine David Fairbrother, 42 Commando, Royal Marines, who was killed in an
ambush while on a patrol with Afghan troops, also in the Nahr-e Saraj district,
on the 19th September. Unlike Wootton Bassett, the arrival of the cortege was
not heralded by the toll of a bell, the first indication being the arrival of a
police motorcycle escort when a silence fell over those gathered. As the funeral
cortege approached, the command was given by the Royal British Legion Parade
Marshal, for the 31 Association Standards to be lowered in salute and all those
present paid their own respects. The funeral cortege stopped at the Memorial
Garden, where the Union Flag from Wootton Bassett is now flown, so that the
relatives and friends of the repatriated soldiers could place their flowers on
the hearses. The cortege then moved off to the sound of applause from many of
those present. Representing the RAFP Association at Carterton today were Brian
Flinn, Ron Glover, Kim Hassall, Tony Lake and Jack & Vida Sharp and at the
John Radcliffe Hospital were Brian Crossin, Reg Lamb, Bob Strachan with the LHC
Branch Standard and Bill Sykes.
Brian Flinn
31st October 2011
Thursday 27th October was a
cool and damp day as Veda and Jack Sharp, Ron Glover, Vic Smith, Tony Lake
and Kim Hassall
with our EX-RN colleague Phil joined two to three hundred others at the Memorial
Garden at Carterton to pay our respects and support the family and friends of Rifleman
Vijay Rai of the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles who was killed on Saturday 15th
October whilst protecting a checkpoint in the Nahr-e Saraj District . Rfn Rai
was 21 years old
and was born in the Desurali District of Nepal and joined the Army in
2008.
Eighteen Standards dipped
in salute as the cortege entered Norton Way and came to a halt at the Memorial
Garden in front of
Rfn Rai's relatives and service colleagues who placed numerous floral tributes
on the hearse during the two minutes silence before leaving to go to the John
Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where our Association was represented by Bob
Strachan carrying the London Home Counties Standard, Mike Lester, Reg Lamb, Bill Sykes,
Brian Crossin, Pat and Maureen Plumbridge with Val and Jaqueline and Bill Veazey with
daughter Sarah.
Tony Lake
10 November 2011
Between two and three hundred people gathered at the
Memorial Garden outside RAF Brize Norton to pay their respects to another
soldier recently killed in Afghanistan. Today's repatriation was held to honour
Private Matthew Haseldin, 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, who received fatal
gunshot wounds when his patrol was attacked by insurgents in the Nahr-e Saraj
district of Helmand province on the 3rd November. As the hearse carrying the
Union Flag draped coffin of Private Haseldin approached, the 18 Royal British
Legion and Veterans Association Standards were lowered in salute, the funeral
cortege halted and flowers were placed on the hearse by the relatives and
friends of the repatriated soldier. As the cortege departed from the Memorial
Garden some of those gathered commenced a short round of applause. Association
members at Carterton today were Kim Hassall, Tony Lake and Brian Flinn (Wilts
Standard) and representing us all at the John Radcliffe Hospital were Reg Lamb,
Mike Lester, Bill Sykes and Bob Strachan (LHC Standard).
Brian
Flinn
17 November 2011
Once again approximately 300 people gathered for a
repatriation ceremony at the Memorial Garden near Carterton today. Being
repatriated on this occasion was Private Matthew Thornton, 4th Battalion, The
Yorkshire Regiment, who was killed in an explosion while on patrol in the Babaji
region of Helmand province on the 9th November. Private Thornton was a
Territorial Army soldier who had only been in Afghanistan for a month before his
tragic death. The 20 Association Standards on parade were lowered in a 'rolling
dip' as the hearse carrying Private Thornton's coffin preceded along Norton Way
to the Memorial Garden. The funeral cortege halted for a period of respectful
silence while the family and friends placed flowers on the hearse. As the
funeral cortege moved off, on route to Oxford, a round of applause was heard.
This applause started at the first Carterton repatriation and has occurred on
each occasion so far. This practise seems to detract from the dignity and
solemnity of the occasion but will probably become the normal routine as those
in attendance believe it is expected, very rarely did this happen during the
repatriations at Wootton Bassett. Representing our Association at Carterton
today were Brian Flinn, Kim Hassall, Tony Lake, Jack & Vida Sharp and Vic
& Val Smith, we were also accompanied by Phil Horton, our RN colleague, who
travels from Wales with Kim Hassall. Once again our representatives at the John
Radcliffe were Brian Crossin, Reg Lamb, Mike Lester, Bob Strachan (LHC Standard)
and Bill Sykes.
Brian
Flinn
24 November 2011
For the third time this month we again gathered at the
Memorial Garden near Carterton to pay respects at another repatriation ceremony.
On this occasion, Carterton's largest repatriation ceremony since taking over
the responsibility from Royal Wootton Bassett, several hundred people lined
Norton Way to pay their respects to four more soldiers who had recently been
killed during security operations in Afghanistan. Being repatriated today were
Lance Corporal Peter Eustace, 2nd Battalion The Rifles, who was killed by a bomb
while providing security in the Mirmandab region of the Nahr-e Saraj district on
the 16th November, Lieutenant David Boyce and Lance Corporal Richard Scanlon,
both from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, who were on patrol in the Yakchal
region of Nahr-e Saraj province when their armoured vehicle struck an improvised
explosive devise (IED) on the 17th November and Private Thomas Lake, 1st
Battalion The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, who was killed when an IED was
set off in the Jamal Kowi region of Helmand province on the 20th November. These
latest deaths bring the total number of service personnel killed in this
conflict to 398. The 20 Association Standards on parade were lowered in salute
as the four hearses carrying the coffins of the soldiers approached the Memorial
Garden where the close families and friends had gathered to say their farewells.
There was also a large number of uniformed personnel present from a variety of
Army, Navy and Royal Air Force formations. There were so many flowers and
tributes placed on the hearses that the funeral cortege remained static for
almost five minutes until the last flowers had been placed. The cortege then
moved off to the, what now appears to have become customary, sound of applause
from some of those gathered. Our representatives at Carterton today were Brian
Flinn, Ron Glover, Kim Hassall, Tony Lake, Vic & Val Smith and Phil Horton.
At the John Radcliffe we were represented by Brian Crossin, Reg Lamb, Mike
Lester, Pat & Maureen Plumridge, with friend Gill, Bob Strachan (LHC
Standard) and Bill Sykes.
Brian Flinn
01 December
2011
Today, representatives of the RAFPA
gathered, in company with approximately 250 civilians and military personnel, at
the Memorial Garden to pay respects to the latest casualty of the conflict in
Afghanistan. Rifleman Sheldon Steel, 5th Battalion The Rifles, was on foot
patrol of the Babaji area in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province on
the 27th November when he was killed by an explosion. This 20 year old soldier
brings the number of British troops killed since operations began in 2001 to
390. At the Memorial Garden it still felt strange not to hear the tolling bell
as the funeral cortege, almost silently, approached the location where the
family and friends of the deceased stand waiting. The 15 Standards of the
ex-Servicemen's Associations commenced their dip as the hearse passed and those
gathered paid their respects in their own appropriate way. The hearse was then
dressed with the flowers brought by friends and relatives during a period of
silent reflection, Rifleman Steel's hearse then departed for the journey to the
John Radcliffe Hospital. Representing the membership of the RAF Police
Association at the repatriation ceremony today were Brian Crossin, Brian Flinn,
Kim Hassall, Phil Horton, Tony Lake, Reg Lamb, Mike Lester, Pat & Maureen
Plumridge with friend Gill, Jack & Vida Sharp, Bob Strachan (LHC Standard)
and Bill Sykes. This has been the 26th repatriation ceremony to take place this
year, with 42 troops having been repatriated, we sincerely pray that it will be
the last, however, in our hearts we all feel that this will, sadly, not be the
case.
Brian
Flinn
05 January 2012
Regrettably, the first repatriation ceremony
of 2012 passed through the Memorial Garden at Carterton today. This repatriation
was in respect of Private John King, 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, who
was killed by an explosion while on a foot patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district
of Helmand province on the 30th December 2011. It was a dark, cold, windy
evening by the time the funeral cortege approached the Memorial Garden where
family, friends and approximately 250 people had gathered to pay their respects,
along with the 12 Association Standards which had been lowered in salute as the
cortege approached. The cortege halted by the family of Private King for a
minutes silence, flowers were not placed on the hearse on this occasion,
believed to be at the request of the family. The funeral cortege then departed,
to a quiet sound of applause, on route to Oxford. In attendance at Carterton
were Brian Flinn, Kim Hassall, Tony Lake, Jack & Vida Sharp and Phil Horton.
In attendance at the John Radcliffe were Bryan Crossin, Reg Lamb, Mike Lester,
Pat & Maureen Plumridge with friend Gill, Bob Strachan (LHC Standard) and
Bill Sykes.
Brian
Flinn
02 February 2012
Hundreds of people gathered at the Memorial
Gardens, Carterton, to pay their respects at the repatriation ceremony of
another victim of the Afghanistan conflict. Today we witnessed the repatriation
of Signaller Ian Sartorius-Jones, 200 Signals Squadron, who died as a result of
a gunshot wound at the Forward Operating Base Khar Nikah in the Nahr-e Saraj
district of Helmand province on the 24th January. The bitterly freezing cold
wind made the delayed arrival of the funeral cortege seem considerably longer
than it actually was, finally the road barriers were opened to allow the police
motorcycle escorts to enter ahead of the hearse. The large uniformed serving
contingent, lead by a Major General and a Brigadier, the Standard Bearers and
ex-service Association members were brought to attention by the Parade Marshal
as the hearse approached. At this time the 16 Association Standards on parade
were lowered, the serving personnel and ex-service men and women saluted during
the minutes silence and the large number of family and friends present placed
their flowers on the hearse. When this was completed, the funeral cortege
continued onwards toward the John Radcliffe Hospital, to the now familiar sound
of applause. Our representatives at Carterton were Brian Flinn, Kim Hassall,
Tony Lake, Jack & Vida Sharp, Vic & Val Smith and Phil Horton. We were
further represented at the hospital by Brian Crossin, Mike Lester, Pat &
Maureen Plumridge, Bob Strachan (LHC Standard) and Bill Sykes. Sadly we are
already aware that we will have to return on Tuesday of next week to do it all
over again.
Brian Flinn
07 February
2012
For the second
time within a week, we again visited the Memorial Gardens at Carterton in order
to attend a repatriation ceremony in respect of another fallen soldier brought
back from Afghanistan. Today we were there to honour the return of Lance
Corporal Gajbahadur Gurung, 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, who
died as the result of a gunshot wound following an insurgent attack while on
foot patrol of the Khar Nikah area of Helmand province on the 27th
January. The now, very familiar, funeral cortege format was adhered to with the
Thames Valley Police vehicle escorts leading the Union Flag draped coffin laden
hearse to the waiting family and friends. The 15 ex-Service Association Branch
Standards paraded were lowered in salute and all those gathered on Norton Way
paid their own personal respects. Floral tributes were placed on the hearse by
the large group of family, friends and colleagues of Lance Corporal Gurung
before the cortege departed, to the sound of quiet applause, for the onward
journey to the John Radcliffe Hospital. This was another emotional repatriation,
made more poignant by the quiet, dignified manner in which the Gurkhali members
conducted their obvious grief on this particularly sad occasion. The RAF Police
Association representatives at Carterton today were Brian Flinn, Kim Hassall,
Tony Lake and Jack & Vida Sharp and at the John Radcliffe were Brian
Crossin, Reg lamb, Mike Lester, Pat & Maureen Plumridge and Bill
Sykes.
Brian
Flinn
