The service included a poem written by Richie's grief-stricken fiancee, Sharyn Jones, and tributes from his mother, Lyn Kelly. He died on board the Hercules, now widely believed to have been shot down north of Baghdad on the last Sunday in January - the day the Iraqis went to the polls. His was the last service for the airmen from RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire. The funeral of Australian Paul Pardoel took place in his home country late last week, while the funeral for the only soldier to be killed, Steven Jones, takes place in Herefordshire today.

Tetbury's vicar, the Rev John Wright, spoke of his sadness at the tragedy - he was due to marry Richie and Sharyn in July and had interviewed them about the ceremony just before Richie left for Iraq. The 40-year-old Scot was divorced and had a 10-year-old daughter from a previous marriage.

Mr Wright told the 200-plus mourners that the words 'rest in peace' would "not have suited Richie at all". "He had the gift of taking each moment as it came, and the virtue of telling you everything straight," he said.

"We in Tetbury are proud of him, of what he did and was prepared to do. Today reminds us of the price that must sometimes be paid by loyal, brave and honest men and women." Afterwards, Mr Wright spoke of the moment he called on the couple to tell them he would agree to marry them in church. "His whole face lit up with a wonderfully big smile and my feet didn't really touch the floor as I was whisked inside to tell Sharyn. They should have been here for the wedding, not for this," he said.

After the service, an RAF bugler Played the Last Post as a Hercules from Lyneham flew past. All eight of the RAF Lyneham servicemen who died in the crash have now been laid to rest, after possibly the most traumatic chapter in the base's history. Now preparations are being made for a full-scale memorial service, to take place on May 20 at Salisbury Cathedral.