Shropshire soldier Aaron McCormick's body to be returned

The body of a Shropshire soldier killed in Afghanistan on Remembrance Sunday will be returned to the UK today.

Ranger Aaron McCormick, 22, of the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment, based at Tern Hill, near Market Drayton, will be flown into RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire.

The soldier, formerly of County Londonderry, had been helping clear an area of improvised explosive devices during a security patrol in Nad 'Ali when he was killed in an explosion on November 14.

After a private ceremony for the family, the cortege will pass through nearby Wootton Bassett.

Ranger McCormick had served once before in Afghanistan on Operation Herrick 8 and was quickly identified as a "quality soldier", according to the Ministry of Defence.

Lieutenant Colonel Colin Weir, Commanding Officer of the regiment, said: "Ranger Aaron McCormick was the epitome of the Irish infantry soldier: tough, selfless, good-humoured and full of compassion."