Five red roses for five fallen heroes: Poignant moment a young girl watches coffins of soldiers arrive in Wootton Bassett
By
Beth Hale
Last updated at 10:07 AM on 19th February 2010
A white-gloved hand clutches a vivid red rose and a young girl's pale face stands out in a sea of black.
At an age when loss should not be part of her world, she is learning all too soon the tragic cost of war.
Around her, men in dark suits hold red roses too. Five stems - one for each of the dead soldiers carried past in a sombre procession through Wootton Bassett.
Poignant: A young girl stands with other mourners as the hearses carrying the coffins of five British soldiers are driven through the streets of Wootton Bassett
Draped in Union Flags, their coffins were brought home on the day that two more of their colleagues perished in Operation Moshtarak - the assault launched at the weekend to overcome Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan.
Back home, the biting cold was never going to keep the people of this loyal Wiltshire market town from lining the streets once again to pay their respects to another group of men killed in the conflict.
Lance Sergeant David Greenhalgh, Lance Corporal Darren Hicks, Kingsman Sean Dawson, Rifleman Mark Marshall and Sapper Guy Mellors were honoured by families, friends and locals.
The five hearses crept into the rain-soaked town and halted briefly beside the war memorial as mourners placed flowers on the vehicles.
Earlier, the men arrived at nearby RAF Lyneham by C-17 transport plane where their coffins were met by families and taken to a chapel of rest.
Procession: Members of the British Legion lower their flags as the hearses drive through Wootton Bassett
Sad times: A mourner is supported as the body of a soldier is driven past
Lance Corporal Hicks, 29, from Mousehole, Cornwall, was killed in an explosion in the Babaji district of central Helmand province as he served with 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards on February 11.
Two days later, Lance Sergeant Greenhalgh, 25, from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, died instantly when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device near Lashkar Gah, as he served with 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.
He was the first victim of Operation Moshtarak, falling on the day the assault was launched.
Rifleman Marshall, 29, of Exeter, was killed when an IED detonated while he was on a foot patrol with the 3 Rifles Battle Group on Sunday.
The same day, Kingsman Dawson, 19, of Ashton-under-Lyne, near Manchester, was shot dead in a gunfight with insurgents in the Musa Qala area of Helmand. An investigation has been launched into his death over fears he was hit by friendly fire.
Rifleman Mark Marshall, left, and Lance Corporal Darren Hicks
Sapper Guy Mellors
Kingsman Sean Dawson
Lance Sergeant Dave Greenhalgh
Sapper Mellors, 20, from Coventry, was killed in an explosion while clearing bombs in Sangin district, Helmand, as he served with 36 Engineer Regiment on Monday.
Last night the Ministry of Defence revealed that two more soldiers had been killed in Helmand.
A serviceman from 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards died yesterday morning in an explosion in the Babaji area.
The second soldier, from 1st Battalion Scots Guards was shot in the afternoon while fighting rebels in Nad'e Ali.
Major General Nick Carter, the British commander of NATO forces in southern Afghanistan, said the joint UK, U.S. and Afghan assault in the Taliban stronghold of Marjah was at 'the end of the beginning'.
He added that Operation Moshtarak would create 'a sense of momentum that will sweep eastwards towards Kandahar in the course of the next six months'.
A total of 263 British service personnel have died since the start of operations in Afghanistan in 2001.
Mark of respect: Police from Devon and Cornwall constabulary line the high street of Wootton Bassett
Support: Mourners comfort each other after watching the five bodies arrive. Two more soldiers were killed in Afghanistan today
Fond farewell: Mourners throw flowers on the hearse of a soldier
I so hope that our new incoming goverment will bring our troops home.
- george clooney, leughton buzzard, 20/2/2010 00:06
Report abuse