Soldiers march through Colchester in honour of fallen comrades

Soldiers from 16th Air Assault Brigade marched through their base town of Colchester today to mark the return of troops from Afghanistan and to remember fallen comrades.

Some 350 soldiers, including many from the ill-fated 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment which has lost 11 men recently, paraded along the high street and then attended a civic reception at the Town Hall.

Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith thanked the public for its continued support, saying: “We are extremely grateful for your continuing public rapport and recognition of the brigade’s success on operations in Afghanistan this year; success tarnished only by the tragic loss of life that accompanied it.”