More British war dead to return home

The bodies of 10 more British servicemen who died in the war on Iraq will be brought home on Tuesday.

The second group of the UK's war dead to be repatriated will be flown in to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

Families will watch coffins draped in Union flags containing their loved ones as they are taken off C-17 cargo aircraft at noon.

There will then be a special ceremony for the deceased troops, attended by senior military figures and dignitaries, the spokeswoman added.

The Oxfordshire Coroner will open inquests into the deaths in a special sitting at the base on Tuesday afternoon.

The spokeswoman said: "The bodies of ten British war dead will be brought back through RAF Brize Norton tomorrow.

"The arrangements will be similar to the last occasion."

The Duke of York and Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon attended a moving service when the first dead troops were brought back on March 29.

At that ceremony the coffins were carried off the aircraft to waiting hearses parties of six pallbearers, made up of members of the dead man's service escorted by a senior officer.

Three senior chaplains from the Armed Forces said prayers and a Royal Marines band played sombre classical music including funeral marches by Beethoven and Mendelssohn.

There was no official service or speeches from any of the military officials during the low-key ceremony, which was conducted in almost total silence. A makeshift morgue has been set up in the gymnasium of the base, home to the RAF's tanker and transport fleets.

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