Soldiers' bodies flown back to UK

Comrades of Jonathan Carlos Bracho-Cooke carried his coffin

The body of a Sussex soldier who was the 100th serviceman to die in action in Iraq has been flown back to Britain.

Jonathan Carlos Bracho-Cooke, 24, from Hove, was on routine patrol near Basra when he died in a blast on 5 February.

His body was flown back to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Thursday along with that of Pte Luke Simpson, 21, of Howden, East Yorkshire.

Pte Simpson died in a bomb attack on 9 February. The men's family and comrades stood by as the aircraft landed.

Morale-boosting humour

The flag-draped coffins were unloaded from the plane and then taken to hearses by bearing parties made up of soldiers from each man's regiment.

An officer carrying a ceremonial sword accompanied the parties.

Pte Simpson who was a member of the 1st Battalion, the Yorkshire Regiment, had served in Northern Ireland and Bosnia.

Comrades paid tribute to his dedication, morale-boosting humour and enthusiasm for the task ahead.

Jonathan Carlos Bracho-Cooke was a Second Lieutenant from the 2nd Battalion, the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.

His fiancee Laura Bottomley said he was a "caring, loyal and incredibly funny partner".

The couple were due to get married in August.