A YOUNG soldier’s courage, dedication and good humour were recalled at his funeral.
Hundreds of villagers attended the service for 19-year-old Private Robbie Hayes at which he was given full military honours, including a volley of shots at his graveside.
Soldiers formed a guard of honour outside St Mary’s Church in his home village of Burwell where around 500 people attended the service – around 150 of them listening to it on loudspeakers outside the church.
Others stood at the roadside as his cortege passed through the village for a private burial at the cemetery.
The young member of the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment was the first British soldier to die in Afghanistan this year when he was killed by an improvised bomb on January 3.
His mother’s partner Trevor Cox said, in a tribute at the service: "He was the bravest of the brave and a true hero".
Cambridge News
