The final journey
ON the day the Queen gently reminded the nation about “the remarkable sacrifice and courage of our Armed Forces”, there was no more poignant sight than the repatriation of six soldiers, including five from The Yorkshire Regiment, who were blown up in Afghanistan.
With the Union Flag at half-mast, the haunting silence at RAF Brize Norton was only broken by the transporter plane landing at the airbase with its precious cargo, and then the sombre placing of white roses on the convoy of hearses as these fine young men began their final journey home.
Yet, while Britain’s continued military presence in Afghanistan is open to conjecture, the public’s support for the Armed Forces is steadfast as hundreds of people lined the streets to show their enduring support to the grief-stricken families of the fallen. These six heroes will never forgotten.