The body of Tilehurst soldier Corporal Richard Green made its journey home yesterday.

Cpl Green was one of five servicemen whose bodies were repatriated after they were fatally wounded in Afghanistan last week.

They were flown to RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire where a private service was held.

Cpl Green’s family including mum Eileen, 50, and brother Daniel, 26, from Spey Road, attended. The 23-year-old also leaves dad Chris, 50, from Spencers Wood, and half-sister Charlotte, 10.

The coffins were then driven through Wootton Bassett as, familiarly, hundreds lined the streets in tribute. The cortege continued its journey to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

Former Little Heath pupil Cpl Green, of 3 Rifles, was killed by small arms fire while he was on patrol in the Sangin area of Helmand on Tuesday, March 2.

He was described by friends and colleagues as a “legend” and nearly 2,000 people are so far members of a Facebook group set up in his memory.

Tomorrow, there is due to be a minute’s silence in honour of him and other fallen soldiers at the Royals versus Bristol City game at the Mad Stad. Six soldiers who worked with Cpl Green will lead the teams out on to the pitch – LCpl Matt Snow, Cpl Aaron Kitts, Rfn Jamie Harris, LCpl Greg Estcourt, Cpl Nick Fowler and Cpl Matt Bridson.

Details are yet to be finalised but Cpl Green is expected to have a full military funeral at the Minster Church of St Mary in Reading town centre later this month.

Fellow soldiers repatriated yesterday were Rfns Jonathon Allott and Liam Maughan, also of 3 Rifles, who with Cpl Green died within days of each other, Cpl Stephen Thompson, of 1 Rifles, and LCpl Thomas Keogh, of 4 Rifles, who both lost their lives on Sunday.

Leave a tribute to Richard Green here or email sarah.dave@reading-epost.co.uk.

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