PM: WE'LL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL

Boris heaps praise on our hero Armed Forces as miracle baby girl is born on mercy flight to UK. THE END OF AN ERA AS HEROES RETURN TO UK

- Marco Giannangeli and David Maddox

BRITAIN will be “forever grateful” to its Armed Forces for their courage in helping 15,000 people escape the Taliban, Boris Johnson has declared.

As the last flight left Kabul, the Prime Minister released a letter to troops to reassure them their efforts in a 20-year Afghanistan mission were not in vain.

It comes after news that a baby girl was born on one evacuation plane destined for Birmingham.

The PM also praised the sacrifices made by our Afghan allies and launched Operation Warm Welcome – a plan to help them settle into their new lives in the UK.

His words came as the final dramatic hours of the biggest military evacuation since the Second World War saw Britain’s ambassador to Afghanistan Sir Laurie Bristow join 250 others on the last plane to leave.

The transport plane had twice its permitted allowance of passengers.

Sir Laurie said: “It’s time to close this phase of the operation now.

“But we haven’t forgotten the people who still need to leave. We’ll continue to do everything we can to help them.

“Nor have we forgotten the brave, decent people of Afghanistan. They deserve to live in peace and security.”

During the last C-17 flight to take home members of 2 Para yesterday afternoon, strains of Richard Wagner’s Ride Of The Valkyries could be heard reverberating from the transport plane’s speakers. The music is the regimental song, and was famously used in the classic war movie Apocalypse Now.