Bringing the Fallen home: how it's done in Canada and the UK

A couple of weeks ago the cortege bringing home the bodies of two soldiers killed in the service of their country was abandoned by its nominal Thames Valley Police escort and left to fend for itself through the busy local traffic, ignored by the public and forced to wait at busy junctions by heedless drivers. With all the adverse publicity that the government has been receiving for its shaby treatment of the Armed Forces and with all the promises that have been consequently made that things would improve, the disrespect shown by the authorities to these soliders was doubly shameful.

In its report the Daily Mail compared the way fallen soldiers are treated in the UK with the situation in Canada. In the UK Britain's fallen heroes are lucky if the hearses carrying their flag-draped coffins are provided with a solitary motorcycle or police car escort. Here's an account of what happens in Canada: Upon arrival in Canada every fallen is greeted by their family member, the military and politicians as the plane touches down at Trenton airbase. The family gets to decide if the press are allowed to be present at this event. If the family decides the ceremony will be private, the press are kept off the base. The fallen are then taken to Toronto where a civilian contractor prepares the body for funeral and transfers it to a nice coffin. The trip to Toronto is 260km/160miles is a police escorted convoy of family members and military personnel on the biggest and busiest highway in Canada. Along the entire route every overpass will be lined with local police, firefighter, EMS, boy scouts, etc and thousands of civilians with Canada flags. All the area legions will have an honour guard standing along the route. The highway has been renamed in honour of the fallen [the Highway of Heroes]. As the convoy arrives in Toronto, traffic is blocked at every intersection on the way to the funeral home. After the Fallen is processed in Toronto, the funeral arrangements are made with the family. If they want a full military funeral the military/government will make the arrangements. The family again decides if press are invited. The YouTube video below shows this in practice.

The Thames Valley Police force has been shamed by the Daily Mail's exposure of their disrespectful and uncaring attitude. The police initially claimed it did not provide escorts because it preferred to "focus on community safety rather than ceremonial roles". That tactless comment went down like a lead balloon so the Chief Constable then blamed the withdrawal of some of the force's motorcycles from the road after the deaths of two officers elsewhere in Britain. Chief Constable Thornton said her force had previously escorted military hearses when bodies were flown to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, but the switch to Lyneham a year ago coincided with the motorcycle withdrawal. She added: "We are, however, about to take delivery of a new fleet of motorcycles and they will be operational from the second week of June. Thames Valley Police will then recommence the escort to facilitate movement through traffic." However, to avoid further criticism, the force decided against waiting until June and on Friday provided three estate cars for escort duties.

But it's not a question of "avoiding criticism"! The police, local councils and other public authorities should be spontaneously honouring the guys who have laid down their lives for their country; they shouldn't have to be forced into doing it for fear of criticism or as a PR stunt.

Link> The Mail: Pictures that should shame us all reveal the shabby way Britain treats its fallen heroes

Link> The Mail: War dead get their police escort back ...
Link> YouTube: Canadian soldiers return to Toronto