The body of British soldier Paul McAleese, the son of the Iranian Embassy siege hero John McAleese, has returned home from Afghanistan.
In a now traditional ceremony to honour Britain's war dead, crowds lined the streets of the Wiltshire town of Wootton Bassett to watch the cortege carrying the bodies of Serjeant Paul McAleese, 29, and Pte Jonathan Young, 18.
Serjeant Paul McAleese died last Thursday when he went to the aid of Private Jonathon Young, 18, who had been hit by a roadside bomb, and was caught in a second explosion (traditionally, Paul's regiment spells the word as "serjeant" rather than the normal "sergeant").
Tragically, Jonathon had just got engaged to his childhood sweetheart and was planning to buy her a ring.
The bodies arrived at RAF Lyneham, just outside of Wootton Bassett. They then travelled in two hearses through the town on their way to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital.
The number of British dead in the Afghanistan War now stands at 207.
Paul is the son of SAS hero John McAleese, who was involved in the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege in London.
After Islamic terrorists held 26 people hostage inside the embassy in April 1980 (but releasing five during the first few days), Margaret Thatcher's government decided to mount a rescue operation after the terrorists killed a hostage and threw his body outside.
The SAS stormed in, rescuing 14 hostages and killing five of the six terrorists.
John McAleese was famously pictured poised on the Embassy balcony moments before he blasted through a window and launched the rescue mission.
Tears of SAS embassy siege hero as body of son who died trying to save mate from Taliban blast returns from Afghanistan
By Daily Mail Reporter
27th August 2009
Daily Mail
An SAS hero fought back tears today as the body of his soldier son was repatriated from Afghanistan alongside the comrade he died trying to save.
John McAleese, who led the raid which ended the Iranian Embassy siege in 1980, crumpled as the coffin carrying his son was repatriated.
Paul McAleese was a Serjeant - the regiment's traditional spelling - who had hoped to follow his father into the SAS.
Serjeant McAleese died last Thursday when he went to the aid of Private Jonathon Young, 18, who had been hit by a roadside bomb, and was caught in a second explosion.
Tears: John McAleese (left), a former member of the SAS, hugs a friend as a hearse containing the body of his son Paul (right) is driven through the streets of Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire today
Widow Joanne holds the couple's baby son Charley
He was the 206th British soldier to die in Afghanistan and is survived by his widow Joanne and four-month-old son Charley - born one week before he left for his tour.
Serjeant McAleese's cousin Darren Braithwaite described him as "like a brother".
"Paul's dad was away a lot. He spent a lot, if not most, of his time round at our house. We both grew up together.
"He was a colourful guy, a bit of a rascal. He was always busy, and was always involved with everything everyone did.
"If something broke, he'd help to fix it. If you had a new car, he'd want to drive it... that sort of thing.
"I'm here today to show my respects and to start saying my goodbyes.
"To be honest, when I first heard I couldn't quite accept it. I kept thinking, he's probably only injured, he'll be all right.
"The realisation that we've lost him is yet to fully sink in."
Joanne McAleese, second left, wife of Serjeant McAleese watches his coffin pass through Wootton Bassett
Pte Jonathon Young had only been in Afghanistan for a fortnight before his death after he volunteered to be among 125 reinforcements to replace summer casualties.
Some 30 relatives and friends of Pte Young wore T-shirts bearing his image, and "Hull's hero" inscribed on the backs.
He is survived by his mother Angela, brother Carl, sister Leah, and was planning to buy a ring for fiancee Nicola Morfitt, 20, on his next leave.
Hundreds line the streets of Wootton Bassett as the coffins pass down the main street
The two servicemen's deaths took the number of UK troops killed in the conflict to 206 and came on the same day that Afghan voters went to the polls.
Serjeant McAleese's wife Jo broke down in tears as the hearse passed through the town.
Speaking shortly after his death, Jo said Paul "would do anything for anybody."
She said: "I don't think his death was in vain because if I thought that it would make it even harder to bear.
"To know that he was helping somebody means more to me than if he hadn't have been.That was just so true of how Mac was, that he would do anything for anybody.
Hull's hero: Mourners wearing T-shifts showing an image Pte Young await for his coffin to pass
"Mac loved his job, but I think it is fair to say that me and Charley had become the most important things in his life.
"He lived for us. I can't believe he's gone. He was everything to me, my whole life. Mac died a hero and he will always be my hero."
Wootton Bassett, Wilts., once again fell silent as the bodies of the two soldiers were driven through the town in a sombre repatriation ceremony.
Returning home: Serjeant McAleese's coffin is lifted from an Hercules at RAF Lyneham today
Their coffins arrived at RAF Lyneham shortly after 10am before passing through the town on their way to John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, for post-mortem examinations.
Lieutenant Colonel Tom Vallings, commanding officer of 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, praised the support shown in Wootton Bassett.
He said: "The support that all of us get from Wootton Bassett - but also from our own recruiting areas in Yorkshire - is incredible.
The line of fire: Sjt McAleese was killed by a secondary blast as he tried to save Pte Young (above)
"It really helps us out in theatre, it's invaluable." Serjeant McAleese, of 2nd Battalion the Rifles, grew up in Hereford (the home of the SAS) and began his army training in March 1997.
He recently moved to Ireland with wife Jo, 25, and friends say he was striving for selection into the SAS to follow in his father's footsteps.
Pte Young, of 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, grew up in Hull before joining the army in February last year.
He was deployed to Afghanistan on August 2 after he volunteered to become part of reinforcements sent to the country to boost numbers after a wave of casualties.
He is understood to be the first of the extra service personnel to be killed.
The two soldiers were on a foot patrol in the notorious Sangin District of Helmand Province on Thursday morning when Pte Young was hit by a roadside bomb.
Serjeant McAleese ran to aid his fallen comrade but died a short time later when he was caught in a second explosion.
Luke Parker, 21, from Lyneham, Wilts., works at RAF Lyneham, and said watching the hearses go past "doesn't get any easier."
He said: "It's just so sad to see the families so upset. They're not just bodies to me they were people and I come here every time. It doesn't get any easier the more you see."
Care-worker Sally Allison, 46, from Wootton Bassett, Wilts., added: "Everybody knows when to come onto the high street because you can hear the bells toll.
"There seem to be more and more people every time. There seem to be so many roses now - the hearses stop so they can all put them on.
Special forces: Blacked up armed members of the SAS on the first floor balcony of the Iranian Embassy in 1980. Two explosions ended the six day siege at the building in Princes Gate. Fourteen hostages were brought out alive and a number of gunmen detained
"I've seen lots of repatriations now but they still make me cry every time."
John McAleese was famously pictured poised on the Embassy balcony moments before he blasted through a window and launched the famous 1980 rescue mission.
The image became the symbol for the bravery of the SAS in the face of terrorism.
McAleese went on to host the BBC2 documentary series SAS: Are You Tough Enough? which saw amateur combat enthusiasts attempt to prove their mettle.
dailymail.co.uk
In a now traditional ceremony to honour Britain's war dead, crowds lined the streets of the Wiltshire town of Wootton Bassett to watch the cortege carrying the bodies of Serjeant Paul McAleese, 29, and Pte Jonathan Young, 18.
Serjeant Paul McAleese died last Thursday when he went to the aid of Private Jonathon Young, 18, who had been hit by a roadside bomb, and was caught in a second explosion (traditionally, Paul's regiment spells the word as "serjeant" rather than the normal "sergeant").
Tragically, Jonathon had just got engaged to his childhood sweetheart and was planning to buy her a ring.
The bodies arrived at RAF Lyneham, just outside of Wootton Bassett. They then travelled in two hearses through the town on their way to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital.
The number of British dead in the Afghanistan War now stands at 207.
Paul is the son of SAS hero John McAleese, who was involved in the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege in London.
After Islamic terrorists held 26 people hostage inside the embassy in April 1980 (but releasing five during the first few days), Margaret Thatcher's government decided to mount a rescue operation after the terrorists killed a hostage and threw his body outside.
The SAS stormed in, rescuing 14 hostages and killing five of the six terrorists.
John McAleese was famously pictured poised on the Embassy balcony moments before he blasted through a window and launched the rescue mission.
Tears of SAS embassy siege hero as body of son who died trying to save mate from Taliban blast returns from Afghanistan
By Daily Mail Reporter
27th August 2009
Daily Mail
An SAS hero fought back tears today as the body of his soldier son was repatriated from Afghanistan alongside the comrade he died trying to save.
John McAleese, who led the raid which ended the Iranian Embassy siege in 1980, crumpled as the coffin carrying his son was repatriated.
Paul McAleese was a Serjeant - the regiment's traditional spelling - who had hoped to follow his father into the SAS.
Serjeant McAleese died last Thursday when he went to the aid of Private Jonathon Young, 18, who had been hit by a roadside bomb, and was caught in a second explosion.
Tears: John McAleese (left), a former member of the SAS, hugs a friend as a hearse containing the body of his son Paul (right) is driven through the streets of Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire today
Widow Joanne holds the couple's baby son Charley
He was the 206th British soldier to die in Afghanistan and is survived by his widow Joanne and four-month-old son Charley - born one week before he left for his tour.
Serjeant McAleese's cousin Darren Braithwaite described him as "like a brother".
"Paul's dad was away a lot. He spent a lot, if not most, of his time round at our house. We both grew up together.
"He was a colourful guy, a bit of a rascal. He was always busy, and was always involved with everything everyone did.
"If something broke, he'd help to fix it. If you had a new car, he'd want to drive it... that sort of thing.
"I'm here today to show my respects and to start saying my goodbyes.
"To be honest, when I first heard I couldn't quite accept it. I kept thinking, he's probably only injured, he'll be all right.
"The realisation that we've lost him is yet to fully sink in."
Joanne McAleese, second left, wife of Serjeant McAleese watches his coffin pass through Wootton Bassett
Pte Jonathon Young had only been in Afghanistan for a fortnight before his death after he volunteered to be among 125 reinforcements to replace summer casualties.
Some 30 relatives and friends of Pte Young wore T-shirts bearing his image, and "Hull's hero" inscribed on the backs.
He is survived by his mother Angela, brother Carl, sister Leah, and was planning to buy a ring for fiancee Nicola Morfitt, 20, on his next leave.
Hundreds line the streets of Wootton Bassett as the coffins pass down the main street
The two servicemen's deaths took the number of UK troops killed in the conflict to 206 and came on the same day that Afghan voters went to the polls.
Serjeant McAleese's wife Jo broke down in tears as the hearse passed through the town.
Speaking shortly after his death, Jo said Paul "would do anything for anybody."
She said: "I don't think his death was in vain because if I thought that it would make it even harder to bear.
"To know that he was helping somebody means more to me than if he hadn't have been.That was just so true of how Mac was, that he would do anything for anybody.
Hull's hero: Mourners wearing T-shifts showing an image Pte Young await for his coffin to pass
"Mac loved his job, but I think it is fair to say that me and Charley had become the most important things in his life.
"He lived for us. I can't believe he's gone. He was everything to me, my whole life. Mac died a hero and he will always be my hero."
Wootton Bassett, Wilts., once again fell silent as the bodies of the two soldiers were driven through the town in a sombre repatriation ceremony.
Returning home: Serjeant McAleese's coffin is lifted from an Hercules at RAF Lyneham today
Their coffins arrived at RAF Lyneham shortly after 10am before passing through the town on their way to John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, for post-mortem examinations.
Lieutenant Colonel Tom Vallings, commanding officer of 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, praised the support shown in Wootton Bassett.
He said: "The support that all of us get from Wootton Bassett - but also from our own recruiting areas in Yorkshire - is incredible.
The line of fire: Sjt McAleese was killed by a secondary blast as he tried to save Pte Young (above)
"It really helps us out in theatre, it's invaluable." Serjeant McAleese, of 2nd Battalion the Rifles, grew up in Hereford (the home of the SAS) and began his army training in March 1997.
He recently moved to Ireland with wife Jo, 25, and friends say he was striving for selection into the SAS to follow in his father's footsteps.
Pte Young, of 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, grew up in Hull before joining the army in February last year.
He was deployed to Afghanistan on August 2 after he volunteered to become part of reinforcements sent to the country to boost numbers after a wave of casualties.
He is understood to be the first of the extra service personnel to be killed.
The two soldiers were on a foot patrol in the notorious Sangin District of Helmand Province on Thursday morning when Pte Young was hit by a roadside bomb.
Serjeant McAleese ran to aid his fallen comrade but died a short time later when he was caught in a second explosion.
Luke Parker, 21, from Lyneham, Wilts., works at RAF Lyneham, and said watching the hearses go past "doesn't get any easier."
He said: "It's just so sad to see the families so upset. They're not just bodies to me they were people and I come here every time. It doesn't get any easier the more you see."
Care-worker Sally Allison, 46, from Wootton Bassett, Wilts., added: "Everybody knows when to come onto the high street because you can hear the bells toll.
"There seem to be more and more people every time. There seem to be so many roses now - the hearses stop so they can all put them on.
"I've seen lots of repatriations now but they still make me cry every time."
John McAleese was famously pictured poised on the Embassy balcony moments before he blasted through a window and launched the famous 1980 rescue mission.
The image became the symbol for the bravery of the SAS in the face of terrorism.
McAleese went on to host the BBC2 documentary series SAS: Are You Tough Enough? which saw amateur combat enthusiasts attempt to prove their mettle.
dailymail.co.uk
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