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Video: Village bids final
farewell to Lt Augustin

by Mary Graham

A village came to a standstill as hundreds gathered inside and
outside a small parish church remembering a young but talented
Royal Marine.

Former Dartford Grammar School pupil, Lt Oliver "Ollie" Augustin
who was 23, died on May 27, killed by an improvised explosive
device in while working in Afghanistan.

This afternoon the High Street in Eynsford was closed off for
the arrival of around a thousand people who turned out to pay their
respects.

The young soldier had only been in Afghanistan for 107 days
before he was killed.

He had qualified as a Royal Marine officer in December 2010 and
his first appointment was to command the Fire Support Group, Juliet
Company, part of the 42 Commando Royal Marines.

Eynsford High Street fell silent as his cortege arrived,
standards were lowered and six pall bearers, who were Ollie's
friends, carried his coffin up the church steps.

Just at that moment a grey showery day turned sunny.

The service was broadcast outside the church for those who could
not fit inside.

A tribute written by his mother Jane, read out by Claire Plant
drew gentle laughter when Mrs Augustin recalled asking her young
son what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he replied: "A
Chelsea Pensioner."

Dad Sean added in his tribute: "He never lived his life on the
sidelines.

"He followed through with his beliefs and had an instrinsic
sense of what was right and wrong and that is why he made a great
leader of men.

"He was also a loyal and loving son, who could bring humour to
any situation.

"He used to joke about family life and always questioned how he
ended up being the toff, while his sister Sarah was the chav."

Dartford Grammar School head teacher John Oakes, recalled Lt
Augustin's love of rugby, describing him as a "sharp academic and
good all rounder".

Ollie's family have posted a notice
in the KM's announcement section. Click
here to see it.

He added: "One of my strongest memories of him is from a
geography field trip and how he was such good company while camping
in the mountains.

"Dartford Grammar School is 437 years old and we are blessed
Ollie was a pupil for seven of those."

More than 700 people have joined a Facebook tribute group in his
memory and on Sunday a group of his friends are planning a charity
bike ride from London to Brighton to raise money for the Afghan
Heroes charity.

Did you know Ollie? Post your tribute to him in the
box below.