British mourners traditionally give a respectful silent salute to slain soldiers, but today they were joined by dog owners who brought their dogs to the grim arrival today of Lance Corporal
Liam Tasker and his bomb sniffing dog Theo.
Ministry of Defence/AP Photo
Lance Corporal Liam Tasker trains with his Military Working Dog, Theo, in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan...
Lance Corporal Liam Tasker trains with his Military Working Dog, Theo, in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan in this undated file photo. Tasker, a dog handler with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps was killed in a firefight with insurgents in Helmand Province, the dog was also killed.
Tasker, 26, died in a firefight on March 1 in Helmand province with Theo by his side. The dog, a springer spaniel, suffered a seizure from the stress and died hours later after being returned to base, according to the British Ministry of Defense.
Tasker's body and the ashes of Theo were returned today on the same military plane to
RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, England.
Residents of Wootton Bassett, near Lyneham, lined the streets when Tasker's coffin, draped with the British Union Jack, passed through the town on its way to Oxford, where soldiers' bodies are examined by a coroner before being returned to families.
Villagers traditionally greet the casket with a solemn moment of silence. It's a ritual of respect that began more than two years ago, explained a local government employee.
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