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Watch soldiers and the
public pay their respects to Cpt Ben Babington-Browne
Hundreds of people have turned out to pay their respects
to Captain Ben Babington-Browne.
The 27-year-old, a former
Maidstone Grammar School pupil, died in a helicopter crash
while serving in Afghanistan on July 6.
A service was held this
morning at All Saints' Church in Maidstone followed by a
private committal.
While there was no official parade,
hundreds lined the route as a mark of respect.
The service was taken by the Revd Canon Christopher
Morgan-Jones and began with Ben's family placing flowers on the
chancel steps.
The congregation then sang The Lord
is My Shepherd before hearing a family tribute from Kenneth Wilson
and an Army tribute from Lt Col Andrew Noble, Commanding Officer
for 22 Engineer Regiment.
The tribute ended with The Ode of
Remembrance from the poem For the Fallen.
It includes the lines:
"They shall grow not old, as we
that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the
years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in
the morning
We will remember them."
The hymm I Vow to Thee My
Country was then followed by a Bible reading from Captain Nathan
Blencowe.
After the Address by Mr
Morgan-Jones, Captain Christopher Brown read from William
Shakespeare's Cymbeline.
Prayers were followed by the hymn
Jerusalem, when Ben's mother Nina laid a rose on her son's
coffin.
The service ended with God Save the
Queen.
The waiting crowd outside then fell
silent as the congregation followed Ben's coffin out of the church
where a firing party of 10 soldiers fired three shots in
tribute.
Traffic was brought to a standstill
as Ben's coffin was driven away for a private family service.
Last week his mother and brother,
Nina and Daniel Babington-Browne, from Allington, said: “We thank
God for the gift of having a son any parent would be proud of, and
a wonderful brother.
“Nothing can take away our grief
and heartache. However, we gain some strength in knowing his memory
will always live on in the hearts and minds of so many people.
“He died doing the job he loved and
we are hugely proud of him. We would also like to thank all who
were involved in bringing Ben back to us (The Armed Forces &
Kenyon Repatriation)."
Click here to see pictures from the
funeral.
Click here to see pictures from the Order of
Service.