A time to honour all those who serve in the Forces

ANNUAL REMEMBRANCE IS ALSO ABOUT THE LIVING, SAYS MAJOR

- By ELLIOT JESSETT

THE airfield is silent as a British military plane sits on the Tarmac beneath a blazing Afghan sun, its engines idling, the heat shimmering around it.

Coffins draped in the Union flag are carried slowly, deliberately, towards the waiting transit.

Watching close by are more than 1,000 troops standing 10 ranks deep, not a word exchanged, accompanied by the mournful notes of bagpipes rising into the desert air. When the aircraft finally takes off, climbing into the pale horizon, no one moves until it disappears from sight.

"They were known as 'Angel flights," says Major Nick McEntee as he recalls some of the more sombre moments of his 45-year military career. "It still leaves a huge lump in my throat. It was incredibly poignant, especially knowing I was replacing a Major who had been killed.

"Afterwards, we would walk away with a great deal of emotion, but knowing we'd paid the respect due to our fallen comrades."

For Maj. McEntee, that scene is etched deep into the memory of countless British soldiers, capturing the essence of service and sacrifice, all core concepts at the heart of Remembrance Day and values which will be honoured at countless services today.