Dead servicemen's bodies flown back to UK

Jul 25 2007

THE bodies of four servicemen, including one from Birmingham, killed in Iraq in the last week were returned to the UK today.

Lance Corporal Timothy Darren "Daz" Flowers, Senior Aircraftsman Matthew Caulwell, Senior Aircraftsman Christopher Dunsmore and Senior Aircraftsman Peter McFerran were repatriated to RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire.

The Hercules carrier conducted a flypast over the airfield at just after 9am and touched down at around 9.15am.

A short ceremony was conducted on the tarmac as the men's flag-draped coffins were carried off the aircraft to the sounds of the Last Post.

Repatriation ceremonies are held in private on military ground and are often attended by the serviceman's colleagues who are still in the UK and occasionally by relatives.

SAC Caulwell, SAC Dunsmore and SAC McFerran died in southern Iraq as they took a break from their duties protecting aircraft taking off from Basra Airport.

Their job was to ensure that the ground over which the aircraft fly was clear of militia.

During the early afternoon there were no aircraft movements and the three men were resting, prior to going out to patrol again when they came under rocket attack. All three were killed instantly.

SAC Caulwell was 22, from Kings Norton, Birmingham, and had served on 1 Squadron since 2002.

SAC Dunsmore was 29, from Leicester, and had been a member of 504 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment at RAF Cottesmore for four years.

He was engaged and until last August he was a manager in a paint company. He had signed up for a year's service, which was due to end next month.

SAC McFerran was 24, from Connahs Quay in Flintshire, and the heavy machine gun (HMG) operator for his unit. He followed his father into the RAF Regiment in 2004.

L/Cpl Flowers was 25 and in the Corps of Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers.

Originally from Northern Ireland, he was attached to the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment and serving with the Irish Guards Battle Group in Iraq.

He died from his injuries when he was hit by shrapnel in an attack on Basra Palace on Saturday.