Wootton Bassett: Highway of Heroes

For the last 18 months the residents of Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire have lined their local high street to pay their respects and to honour fallen soldiers who are being repatriated back to Britain.

All UK service personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan are brought back home to RAF Lyneham and from there along the B3102 through Wootton Bassett and on to the mortuary at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

Over 100 times now the townspeople have paid their final salute to a passing flag-draped coffin and last October the Armed Forces officially thanked them by holding a parade and flypast in the town.

There are now two petitions on the Number10 ePetitions website which seek to get the Government to recognise what the town does in an official and permanent way. Twinning the town with the Armed Forces, setting up a plaque in the town centre or renaming the stretch of the B3102 as "Highway of Heroes" are some suggestions which have been made.

Highway of Heroes

The petition reads: Rename the streach of road (B3102) between RAF Lyneham and Wootton Basset, "HIGHWAY OF HEROES" to honour ALL those of our Military who have given their lives in the service of their Country.

Number10 ePetitions: Highway of Heroes

The Sun: Heroes Highway

Wootton Bassett recognition

The petition reads: "The people of Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire turn out constantly and selflessly to honour the servicemen and women who gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and should be recognised by the Government for this meaningful act. It would be nice to see some sort of meaningful recognition and not just a line spoken in Parliament. A lot of people in the country are proud of what the town is doing and would like to see the Government recognise it too."
Number10 ePetitions: Wootton Bassett
This is Wiltshire: Petition bid to recognise Wootton Bassett's patriotism