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| Forces to repay town's tributes | Forces to repay town's tributes |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Members of the armed forces are to parade through the streets of a town in Wiltshire to thank locals for honouring dead British service personnel. | Members of the armed forces are to parade through the streets of a town in Wiltshire to thank locals for honouring dead British service personnel. |
| Over the past 18 months residents of Wootton Bassett have lined the streets more than 100 times as coffins have been brought through the town. | Over the past 18 months residents of Wootton Bassett have lined the streets more than 100 times as coffins have been brought through the town. |
| The town is near RAF Lyneham, the airbase to which bodies are repatriated after deaths in Afghanistan or Iraq. | The town is near RAF Lyneham, the airbase to which bodies are repatriated after deaths in Afghanistan or Iraq. |
| Sunday afternoon's tribute will also see a flypast from a Hercules aircraft. | Sunday afternoon's tribute will also see a flypast from a Hercules aircraft. |
| The tradition of residents lining the streets as coffins were driven through Wootton Bassett began in April 2007 after a decision was made to bring all service personnel war dead home to Britain through RAF Lyneham. | The tradition of residents lining the streets as coffins were driven through Wootton Bassett began in April 2007 after a decision was made to bring all service personnel war dead home to Britain through RAF Lyneham. |
| Previously, dead servicemen and woman had been flown back to RAF Lyneham or RAF Brize Norton. All we can do is spare a few moments of our lives Anne Bevis, Royal British Legion | Previously, dead servicemen and woman had been flown back to RAF Lyneham or RAF Brize Norton. All we can do is spare a few moments of our lives Anne Bevis, Royal British Legion |
| In a letter to the town thanking the residents for the gesture, the head of the British Armed Forces, Sir Richard Dannatt, said: "I am writing to express my sincere gratitude... | In a letter to the town thanking the residents for the gesture, the head of the British Armed Forces, Sir Richard Dannatt, said: "I am writing to express my sincere gratitude... |
| "In many respects, it is the things that cost nothing that are the ones that are the most important - a friendly greeting in the street, a prayer in church... But the gestures shown by the people of Wootton Bassett surpass these at every level." | "In many respects, it is the things that cost nothing that are the ones that are the most important - a friendly greeting in the street, a prayer in church... But the gestures shown by the people of Wootton Bassett surpass these at every level." |
| Among those who regularly turn out to pay their respects are former servicemen and women. | Among those who regularly turn out to pay their respects are former servicemen and women. |
| Frank Pepler, a retired Grenadier Guardsman, told the BBC: "Being an ex-serviceman you're always going to support. | Frank Pepler, a retired Grenadier Guardsman, told the BBC: "Being an ex-serviceman you're always going to support. |
| "The majority of people support ex-service people coming home like this from the east, or wherever they're serving. | "The majority of people support ex-service people coming home like this from the east, or wherever they're serving. |
| "You're just showing that respect for them really." | "You're just showing that respect for them really." |
| Anne Bevis, from the Royal British Legion, said: "Those lads that are being brought through this town, all we can do is spare a few moments of our life. | Anne Bevis, from the Royal British Legion, said: "Those lads that are being brought through this town, all we can do is spare a few moments of our life. |
| "They've given theirs, so a few moments of ours is nothing." | "They've given theirs, so a few moments of ours is nothing." |
| The parade is due to start at 1400 BST. | The parade is due to start at 1400 BST. |