Repatriation Report Cfn Found & Pte Bellingham

REPATRIATION REPORT

Thursday 23rd June, 2011

From operations in Afghanistan, the repatriation of:

Craftsman Andrew Found (27), Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

Cfn Found, serving with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, died in an IED explosion while on operations near Adinzai’I in the Gereshkh Valley area of Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand Province, om 16^th June, 2011.

Private Gareth Leslie William Bellingham (22), 3^rd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Staffords)

Pte Bellingham died from small arms fire while on patrol near Khar Nikarin,in the Upper Gereshk Valley, Helmand Province, on 18^th June, 2011.

Service veterans and members of the public turned out in the following “stations of vigil” to pay their respects to the fallen as the cortege made its way on the 47 mile route from the point of arrival at RAF Lyneham to the John Radcliffe Hospital at Oxford. .

Royal Wootton Bassett - Town Centre (1720)

This report from Duncan Wostenholm, RMA

There were over 2,000 people lining the High Street of Wootton Bassett to pay tribute to the two soldiers coming home. Joining the families and friends were Mr James Gray, MP for North Wiltshire, Group Captain John Gladstone MBE DFC ADC RAF, CO of RAF Lyneham, Assistant Chief Constable Mike Veale of the Wiltshire Constabulary, the Chairman of Wiltshire County Council and Corporal Johnson Beharry VC, Princess of Wales Royal Regiment.

Several contingents of uniformed personnel, representing REME, the Mercian Regiment and Scottish Regiments supplemented many veterans in berets, and 58 members of the Royal British Legion Motorcycle Branch. My apologies for any that I have missed.

Royal British Legion Standards included Dursley & Cam, Tamworth, Tewkesbury, Lambourn, Merthyr Tydfil, Chichester and The Witterings.

There were 11 Association Standards for REME, including Bournemouth, Bristol, Coventry, Doncaster, Kettering, Luton & Dunstable, North Devon, Scotland, Shropshire and Swansea. Also there were the Standards of The Mercian Regiment; The Staffordshire Regiment (Wolverhampton, Ensford, Tamworth, Rugely and Lichfield), The Parachute Regiment (Swindon, North Staffordshire and 101^st Airborne); The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Windsor); The RN Association (Swindon and Tewkesbury); The Malaya and Borneo Veterans; Beachley Old Boys Association; The Royal Regiment of Wales (Newport); RAFA Dunstable and the Normandy Veterans, Stoke on Trent.

Gable Cross Police Station - On the A420 just east of the junction with the A419 (1745)

This report from Stan Holland

There were three Association Standards paraded on the main road outside the Police HQ: Royal Marines (Reading), Royal Engineers (Reading) and the RAF Lyneham Old Boys. We have since heard from Tony Davie, the Standard Bearer of RMA Reading, that when ITV attended at Gable Cross, their party included Corporal Johnson Beharry VC, who personally greeted everybody on parade. There are very few people in the world today who have the privilege of shaking the hand of a holder of the Victoria Cross. A rare moment. There were six veterans present, along with two Firefighters,10 police officers and 30 members of the public.

At the Road Bridge - B4000 over the A420 between Shrivenham and High worth (1800)

Report by Derrick Jeans, RAFA

On the bridge of the B4000 over the A420, District Councillor Elaine Ware and nine members of the public stood to pay their respects as the cortege passed very slowly by. They were joined on the other side of the road by three drivers who got out of their cars and stood by their vehicles. Oncoming traffic also drew to a halt.

United Kingdom Defence Academy - at the Watchfield Roundabout on the A420, adjacent to the UKDA.

(1805)

Report by Patrick Hopper, RMA

10 Royal Marines veterans assembled, along with veterans Bert (former Royal Berkshires) and Gerry (former RE, Korean War), with several of the wives to pay their respects to the fallen. The Standards of RMA Poole & District and Guildford Branches were paraded. Other veterans included Air Commodore Marcus Witherow (RAF Regt. Retd), his wife Mary and Major Peter Hasting RM (Retd) and his wife Diana.

Uniformed personnel from the Defence Academy included Lieutenant Colonels Heardman, Chris Platt and Paul Johnson, Majors Steve Bharat, Lisa Gill and Ben Creed, RSM Bryce and Staff Sergeant Wilde, all of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Captain Phil Burrill, Royal Navy, (Academy Chief of Staff), Major Olly Briant and RSM Mark Collacott of The Mercian Regiment, and WO1 Brett Taylor, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. These were joined by about 15 Academy civilian staff, families and members of the public.

The salute to the cortege was ordered by WO1 Mark Hennington, The Mercian Regiment, the Academy RSM.

Many thanks to the two MOD Police officers who directed traffic.

Folly Hill Lay-by - east of Faringdon on the A420, just north of the A417 junction

This report by Joy Blake

Their was a large turnout of people for the repatriation at Folly Hill today, when we paid our respects to the two soldiers returned home. The cortege passed us by at 6.15pm and there were 86 people present, plus five children. These included townspeople from Faringdon and surrounding villages, as well as many veterans with berets and medals, and members of the Royal British Legion.

Also attending were relatives of a local family who were on holiday from New Zealand, who were impressed by the cortege and what we did at Faringdon and district towards the repatriation of fallen soldiers of our Armed Forces.

Also in attendance were the Faringdon Town Mayor and his Escort, Mike and Ingrid Wise; the Chairman of the Vale of the White Horse District Council, Alison Thompson; and members of the community police. I was good to welcome back Bill Collins from Beedon (Newbury), with his standard.

Standards paraded were the Union flag, Royal British Legion Frangdon, Beedon, Highworth, Shrivenham, Wantage, Oxfordshire Womens Branches, RAFA Brize Norton and Carterton and the Royal Naval Veterans from Wantage.

John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford - near Anthony Padua Parish Church, Headley Way.

This report from John Walker, RDG

We here at the Final Turn stood true and firm to honour the two fallen soldiers.

There were 12 Royal British Legion Standards: Bicester, Bicester & Launton, Bloxham, Bodicote, Chalgrove, Hazelmere, Henley, Islip, Kidlington, Kidlington Womens Section, Marston and Wheatley.

The 10 Association Standards included: The Coldstream Guards, Canal Zoners (Oxon), The Guards Division (Newbury), The Parachute Regiment (Oxon), RAF Police, The Royal Navy & Royal Marines (Oxon), Royal Marines (Bicester and Windsor), The Royal Tank Regiment (Oxon), St George Society and The Banners of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and The Royal Dragoon Guards.

We were honoured today by the presence of Corporal Johnson Beharry VC, PWRR, who paraded along with us to honour the two soldiers.

There were 65 veterans with berets and medals, and about 60 others from all three services. At least 200 members of the public joined us at the Final Turn and the ring road into Marston that leads up the hill to us was, as always, well attended. The Thames Valley Police were out in force, doing their normal duties, as well as parading with us, under the command of Special Inspector Philip Quickenden. Mary and John from the church were there, John having half-masted the Union flag earlier in the day. St John’s Ambulance were again in attendance, as were the two RBL Bikers, Martyn and Tony. The vets’ wives once again looked after us with tea/coffee and home made cakes, etc. The Union and Ulster flags were also there. The parade marshal was G. Whelan (former Para) and his 2i/c was J. Lewendon (former RA). The cortege passed us by at 1900hrs.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

Footnote: A group, under the command of WO1 (RSM) John Rochester RSDG and now the SQMS of The Royal Hospital, Chelsea, came to give us support to the above soldiers, but in particular for Crafstman Found, REME, who was attached to their regiment at the time of his death, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards: Sgt Jim McElland (Pensioner, RHC), Lt Col Mike Oliver, his son Captain Nick Oliver, Captain James Leslie, WO1 (RSM) Paul Savage (Banner Bearer), Staff Sergeants Smith and Hugh Hinde, all these being former members of The Scots Greys, The Caribiniers or The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

Report compiled by PH (The Duty Scribe)

On behalf of the Royal Marines Association

.............................................................................................................Arborfield Old Boys' Association