Crew to be brought home to Lyneham
7th February 2005 15:00hrs GMT
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The eight local heroes, part of the elite team, that was on board the doomed RAF Lyneham Hercules are to be repatriated back to their home base. The tragic flight, that came down 20 miles north-west of Baghdad on 30 January, as part of a routine mission in Northern Iraq, has hit the world and particularly our local community.

The ten man crew which have paid the ultimate price for world democracy and freedom will arrive home Tuesday. The bodies of servicemen are due to be returned to Lyneham with full Military honours, and proudly so. The village has been very quiet, since the news came through of the loss and fears were expressed in national media that the servicemen's bodies would be repatriated back to the neighbouring Oxfordshire airbase of RAF Brize Norton.

The move would have been considered rather insensitive as the majority of the crew were based at Lyneham.

There has been extreme pressure to ensure the Lyneham based crew return home to their Wiltshire base. Mr Jim Semple, secretary of the Lyneham Old Boys Association had personally written to the Defence Secretary asking for consideration to fly the heroes back to Lyneham.

An elderly lady in the village, who did not want to named, said "They are our heroes and our boys should come home to Lyneham. We are so proud of them, I wipe a tear every day since Sunday and pray for them. It would be really fitting if they fly into Lyneham. I really hope the Government think twice before they make plans. It looks like her prayers have been answered.

Defence Secretary Mr Geoff Hoon, who visited the station last week, to pay tributes to the families and 47 Squadron said today in the House of Commons, "I pay tribute to the men of the Hercules crew and a full investigation is under way to establish the cause of the accident" He also confirmed that the 10 servicemen will be flown home to RAF Lyneham. The bodies are currently being brought home from Basra in Iraq following a full military service.