Homecoming ‘first’ for Brize Norton

The body of Sergeant Barry Weston, 40, of 42 Commando, was flown to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The Royal Marine, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, became the first serviceman to be repatriated to the air base since flights resumed on September 1.

They were moved to RAF Lyneham in April 2007 when Brize Norton was closed for runway repairs.

The way in which Wootton Bassett turned out to honour the fallen won a place in the hearts of the British public. Last week a ceremony marked the end of repatriations there when the Union flag on the high street was taken down and given to the people of Carterton, the village near Brize Norton.