SERVICEMEN, veterans, family and friends joined members of the Carterton community this afternoon to pay their respects at the repatriation of Private Jamie Lee Sawyer.

One-hundred troops from Private Sawyer’s regiment The Royal Logisitic Corps lined up on Norton Way to greet the cortege containing the body of 20-year-old soldier killed during a military training exercise in Cyprus on March 12.

His coffin had been flown into RAF Brize Norton at 1.30pm.

Private Sawyer was a chef attached to the The 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment Battlegroup serving with a United Nations Peacekeeping force in Cyprus, when he was killed in a canoeing accident.

Private Marius Mostert, 31, served alongside Private Sawyer at the Royal Logistics Corps based in Chester and in Cyprus, said: “No one could ever say anything bad about him. We had four months in Cyprus and he made such a big impact on everybody’s life.

“It’s a very sad day for a mother to bury her son but everybody coming out today shows their support for the family."

Private Mostert said Private Sawyer was planning to submit the last piece of paperwork for his NVQ catering qualification the day before he died.

Carterton Mayor Lynn Little praised her town for showing support for the repatriation.

She said: “It was a very fitting occasion and again the community has come out in full support.

“The family have thanked me personally for being a support to them and have asked me to put a wreath down in the memorial garden for young Jamie."

Pte Sawyer's body was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where it was greeted by other mourners paying their respects in Headley Way.

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“We will continue to support them and welcome them back to the memorial garden.

“I’m very proud to be mayor of this town because of the amount of support it shows on these occasions."