IT IS 10 years since the first fallen soldiers were repatriated through Royal Wootton Bassett – a milestone marked last night in a quiet wreath-laying at the town’s war memorial.

It was a far cry from the scenes at many of the later repatriations, but for Royal British Legion branch chairman Tom Blundell the lack of ceremony, echoing the first return, was right.

“We weren’t going to do anything particular because of all our own thoughts about the anniversary and we didn’t want it to turn into a show,” he explained.

It was member Percy Miles who noticed a hearse going through town and brought it to the attention of the branch. They all agreed to ensure members should be at the war memorial to welcome the war dead home, but without medals and standards.

“Our point of view was that it was to pay respect to them, nothing to do with us and what we had done.”

Mike Leighfield was mayor of the town in 2008, the year the 100th fallen soldier, Ranger James Cupples, was brought home from Afghanistan.

He said it was an accident of geography that meant the funeral corteges came through the town on their way to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and he believes any other community would have done the same.

“I wouldn’t want that to happen to any other town,” he said. “But it brought everyone together.”

People came in from surrounding villages and towns to pay their respects, many of them turning out regularly regardless of the weather.

They would wait in biting cold or blazing sun for the appearance of the police motorcycle outriders which signalled the cortege was close. Then the crowd would fall silent as it passed slowly by.

The town is putting together an archive of memorabilia from the period for future generations and is working with Liverpool University. “All our memories and letters we received will eventually be in the public domain.” Said Mike: “We still remember them and we will carry on honouring them.”

Royal British Legion treasurer Anne Bevis was responsible for ringing members to alert them to a repatriation.

“Whatever service you served it or were connected with it is a bit like a family really. To lose somebody, especially in those circumstances is tragic,” she said: It was a matter of respect and showing the families what they had lost was not in vain.

Asked whether she thought the experience had changed the town, she said: “I think the people are the same people they were before. They are caring, they are friendly.”

“British people are very reserved, but it is something like this that breaks down that reserve and brings them together.”

Audrey Wannell became mayor in May 2007, shortly after the flights moved to Lyneham. She and husband Chris are still in contact with some of the bereaved families they met during her term of office.

As a couple they felt it was important to represent those who couldn’t get there. Although they followed a pattern, each repatriation was different. One, where a choir sang to greet the cortege has stuck in Audrey’s mind.

“I will always, always remember that one,” she said.

During their time they only missed three or four and even then the solemn event was never far from their thoughts.

Once when they were visiting Weymouth they dropped into a store, got chatting with the shopkeeper and were told that whenever a repatriation was held, like her fellow shop workers in Wootton Bassett, she would step outside for a few minutes and think of the families.

There were 345 repatriations through the town, the last in August 2011, shortly before flying operations ended at Lyneham.

That year Prime Minister David Cameron announced the town would be give the title Royal in recognition of the respect it had shown the country’s war dead.