UK NEWS

SAD FAREWELL TO HERO FATHER KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN

SORROW: Funeral cortege of RAF servicemen Gary Thompson and Graham Livingstone

Friday May 2,2008

By Martin Stote

FIVE grief-stricken sisters comfort each other yesterday at the funeral of their father who became the oldest British serviceman to be killed in Afghanistan.

RAF hero Gary Thompson, 51, died when a bomb exploded as he patrolled outside the Nato airbase at Kandahar.

His devastated daughters and widow, Jacqui, 42, walked hand in hand behind his Union Flag-draped coffin as an RAF Harrier jump jet flew overhead and armed airmen formed a guard of honour.

Mr Thompson, a reservist Senior Aircraftsman, had told his family: “I want women in Afghanistan to have the same opportunities that my daughters have had.”

His heartbroken girls – Laurie, 23, Aimee, 21, Jordan, 19, Jade, 17, and Kelly, 16 – each paid tribute to him during the service at St Jude’s Church in Mapperley, Notts.

Jordan said: “Dad, there are no words that I can say to describe you because amazing and wonderful just aren’t enough – you were so much more. This isn’t goodbye because you’ll be with me always.”

Jade said: “I am so happy that I got to spend 17 years of my life with you than nothing at all. I will love you forever and always.”

Laurie said: “He filled our lives with encouragement and support.

“Our happiness was most important to him. He would help us and be there for us in whatever way he could.”

Aimee said: “Dad, I think the question everyone is thinking is why on earth did you go? But I think that anyone who knows you knows the answer to that deep down.

“You wanted to go out there and do your bit and help others and we are all so proud of you for it.”

Kelly read a poem that ended: “And I’ll love you always, For you know, Through all my years, You’ve been my hero.”

Mourners were asked to bring sweets to be sent to soldiers overseas after he told his family the treats helped him cope in the dust of Afghanistan.

SAC Thompson, of Sherwood in Nottingham, belonged to the 504 squadron, which is based at RAF Cottesmore, Leics.

Squadron Leader Jan Burton said: “There were two great passions in Gary Thompson’s life, his family and serving in the reserves as an RAF Regiment gunner. Age was no barrier to this man – he was fitter than most of his juniors.”

The Last Post was sounded as his coffin was taken for cremation.

SAC Thompson served with the RAF in the 1970s and re-entered military life in 2005 as a reservist, becoming a gunner and a mortar man in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

He died on April 13 alongside fellow SAC Graham Livingstone, 23, from Glasgow, whose funeral was also held this week.