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| Soldiers' bodies are flown home | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The body of a British paratrooper who was killed during the rescue of a journalist kidnapped in Afghanistan has been flown back to Britain. | |
| Cpl John Harrison, 29, from East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, was flown home along with Kingsman Jason Dunn-Bridgeman, 20, from Liverpool. | |
| Kingsman Dunn-Bridgeman was shot dead in Helmand province on Sunday. | Kingsman Dunn-Bridgeman was shot dead in Helmand province on Sunday. |
| The men's bodies were flown to RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire where a private service was held for their relatives. | |
| The two men were the 213th and 214th British service personnel to die in Afghanistan since the start of operations in 2001. | The two men were the 213th and 214th British service personnel to die in Afghanistan since the start of operations in 2001. |
| 'A lion' | 'A lion' |
| Cpl Harrison, of the Parachute Regiment, was killed in an operation on 9 September to rescue reporter Stephen Farrell. | Cpl Harrison, of the Parachute Regiment, was killed in an operation on 9 September to rescue reporter Stephen Farrell. |
| The New York Times journalist had been taken hostage by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan. | The New York Times journalist had been taken hostage by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan. |
| Despite successfully rescuing Mr Farrell, the mission also left Afghan journalist Sultan Munadi and two civilians dead. | Despite successfully rescuing Mr Farrell, the mission also left Afghan journalist Sultan Munadi and two civilians dead. |
| As the prime minister, you must accept responsibility for the deployment of your troops... Failure to ensure this will be seen as an act of neglect and should not be allowed to go unanswered Stephen Minter | |
| Cpl Harrison was described by his family as "a wonderful son, brother and a dedicated soldier". | Cpl Harrison was described by his family as "a wonderful son, brother and a dedicated soldier". |
| Kingsman Dunn-Bridgeman, of 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was killed in a firefight after volunteering for early deployment to Afghanistan. | Kingsman Dunn-Bridgeman, of 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was killed in a firefight after volunteering for early deployment to Afghanistan. |
| His commanding officer, Lt Col Robbie Boyd, said England and the battalion had "lost a lion". | His commanding officer, Lt Col Robbie Boyd, said England and the battalion had "lost a lion". |
| The repatriation of the men's bodies coincides with an open letter to the prime minister from the father-in-law of another man killed in Afghanistan - in it he condemns inadequate equipment for soldiers there. | |
| Stephen Minter, whose son-in-law Sjt Paul McAleese was killed by an improvised bomb in August, wrote that a lack of equipment such as armoured vehicles meant there had been "needless killing" of British soldiers. | |
| Mr Minter wrote: "As the prime minister, you must accept responsibility for the deployment of your troops. | |
| "You have a duty to ensure that they are provided with the best equipment available and the operational tactics that are used are sound and sensible. | |
| "Failure to ensure this will be seen as an act of neglect and should not be allowed to go unanswered." | |
| Meanwhile, the Queen has recommended the Wiltshire town of Wooton Bassett, through which dead soldiers are driven after being flown home, should be given a royal prefix to mark the town's loyal tradition of honouring fallen servicemen. |