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S Tyne fallen's names added to memorial
A CROSS bearing the names of three South Tyneside soldiers killed in Iraq has been placed in the Royal British Legion Field of Remembrance.
The Duke of Edinburgh joined two young war widows to open the poignant memorial at Westminster Abbey in London, on Thursday.
Each year, tens of thousands of little remembrance crosses are planted in the grounds surrounding the abbey, each one with a dedication written to a loved one killed in battle.
This year, there is a specific plot for crosses to remember those men and women who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each one will bear a name, photograph and dedicated message.
David Bellamy, 62, of South Shields, who has supported the Royal British Legion for many years, was sent one by the charity and decided to add the names of Staff Sergeant Sharron Elliott, 34, and Corporals Paul Long, 24, and Simon Miller, 21.
He said: "The Royal British Legion sent me the cross for me to remember someone who died in service.
"As I have not lost anyone in service, I thought of the three young people of the town who have died recently."
Staff Sgt Elliott was among four British service personnel killed by a makeshift bomb planted under a bridge in Basra in November 2006.
Her death came on Remembrance Sunday – making this time of year all the more poignant for her mum Elsie Manning, of Horsley Hill, South Shields.
She said: "Remembrance Sunday is a day for everyone to remember not just the fallen, but the injured and those still serving, and also the families who are going through an enormously hard time.
"These people who serve our country deserve the very best we can give, because we must remember they are not just soldiers, they are someone's father, brother, sister – in other words, family.
"This one day of the year brings everyone together and a huge show of support for our troops is the very least we can do to say thank you."
South Shields-born Cpl Miller and Cpl Long, who moved to the town when he was 12, were among six Redcaps killed by an Iraqi mob in Al Majar Al-Kabir in June 2003.
The wife of Cpl Russell Aston, 30, who died alongside them, joined Prince Phillip at the opening of the Field of Remembrance with her seven-year-old daughter, Pagan.
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Weather for South Shields
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South
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Light rain
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