Troops tribute town to be given Royal title

The small market town in Wiltshire will become the first town in more than 100 years to be given the honour in recognition of its spontaneous shows of respect and mourning for fallen soldiers, David Cameron said.

Mr Cameron also confirmed that troop repatriations through the town will stop in September because of the closure of the nearby RAF Lyneham base.

Mr Cameron said the Queen had agreed to the tribute as “an enduring symbol of the nation’s admiration and our gratitude to the people of that town”.

“Their deeply moving and dignified demonstrations of respect and mourning have shown the deep bond between the public and our Armed Forces,” Mr Cameron told MPs.

The Prime Minister made the announcement after making his regular tribute at the start of question time in the House of Commons to the most recent military casualty in Afghanistan.

“The town will become Royal Wootton Bassett later this year in a move I believe will be welcomed right across our country,” he said.

The only other Royal towns in England are Royal Leamington Spa – granted in 1838 by Queen Victoria – and Royal Tunbridge Wells, granted the honour in 1909 by King Edward VII.

Wootton Bassett residents welcomed the announcement but insisted that they had taken part in the ceremonies as a mark of their respect for the Armed Forces and their families and had not sought any reward.

Mary Champion, Mayor of Wootton Bassett, said: “This is a great honour for our community as the repatriations move away from Wootton Bassett.

“Whilst we have never sought recognition for our simple act of respect I am certain that this will serve to reinforce the pride and gratitude we feel for the members of our armed services who will always be in our thoughts.”

Brian Bevis, 72, vice-president of the Wootton Bassett branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “We didn’t go out of our way to get it, we just came here to say a final farewell to the troops that were coming through.

“But, to have it bestowed upon us is a great honour and we’re very grateful. It proves we have not gone unnoticed, as does the correspondence we get from around the world.”

Former Mayor Percy Miles, 72, started the tradition of lining the street when the bodies were driven through from RAF Lyneham on their way to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

As mayor, Mr Miles was contacted by RAF Lyneham to be told a cortege would be coming through the town.

He and his wife took the decision to go to the high street to pay their respects.

“It’s absolutely wonderful. It’s something that I never thought would happen,” he said.

“What happened here was beyond our wildest dreams, it was just us paying homage, as far as we knew on that first day, he was the one and only, we didn’t think there would be more.”

North Wiltshire MP James Gray, whose constituency includes Wootton Bassett, said: “The people of Wootton Bassett have sought no thanks, nor praise, for what they have done on 156 occasions for 327 fallen soldiers over four years, standing proxy for the nation in their grief at our fallen heroes and showing our respect for our Armed Services.

“We are all nonetheless deeply honoured by the way in which Her Majesty the Queen has chosen to mark the Wootton Bassett Repatriation Ceremonies.

“We will wear the title “Royal” with pride for generations to come, remembering the way in which the people of the town and the surrounding districts turned out in all weathers, on so many occasions to pay our respects.”

The announcement comes as the town prepares for the repatriation tomorrow of the body of Lance Corporal Stephen McKee, from 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment. The 27-year-old soldier from Co Down, Northern Ireland, was killed in a landmine blast in southern Afghanistan last week.