Members of the public have paid their respects to a British paratrooper killed in a “tragic accident” in Ukraine.
The body of Lance Corporal George Hooley, 28, was repatriated to RAF Brize Norton in west Oxfordshire on Wednesday after his death last week.
A private, family-only ceremony was held at the country’s largest RAF station before L/Cpl Hooley’s body was carried past Carterton Repatriation Memorial Garden.
People paid their respects along the route, some in tears, and members of the armed forces and police also turned out to honour the soldier.
Mourners gathered at the repatriation memorial garden, designed by the Oxfordshire community as a space for people to honour fallen military personnel.
During repatriations, the Union flag is flown in the garden and a memorial bell tolls.
L/Cpl Hooley, who was due to be promoted to corporal rank next month, was killed as he watched Ukrainian forces testing a new defensive capability.
The Parachute Regiment soldier, who had previously been deployed to Afghanistan, Africa and eastern Europe, was described as “the glue” and “the laughter within his team”, and someone who had “a deep kindness and genuine time for everyone”.
In a tribute, his company commander said: “His energy and enthusiasm were simply extraordinary.
“He provided spark that lifted others, a drive that inspired, and a zest for life that reminded us all how to live with purpose and joy. And we loved him for it.
“George had a rare gift: a deep kindness and genuine time for everyone.
“Whether you were a lifelong friend, a colleague, or someone he had just met, he made you feel valued.
“He listened – properly listened – and he cared. His door was always open, and his heart even more so.”
The UK has previously acknowledged that a “small number” of military personnel are in the country, mainly providing security for the British diplomatic presence and supporting the Ukrainian armed forces.
The presence of paratroopers in Ukraine has not previously been disclosed by the Government.
The Parachute Regiment is an airborne infantry regiment of the British Army, primarily based at Merville Barracks in Colchester.
