EVEN by the standards of Wootton Bassett the repatriation of five soldiers at once is a sombre occasion.

At the head of the cortege is the hearse carrying the body of Corporal Stephen Thompson (pictured), 31, from Bovey Tracey, who was killed on Sunday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.

Beneath the grey sky the cortege assembles 50 metres away from the hundreds of people lining the town's High Street.

At 2.42pm, the funeral director taps his ceremonial rod on the ground and the vehicles begin to idle forward.

Up until this moment the small Wiltshire town has worn its informal responsibility lightly.

Members of the public cede pavement space to the collection of old soldiers who congregate beside the war memorial, which remembers the dead from a much older war.

One local woman says she doesn't usually come but 'five is too many, our lads should come home'.

She says the town simply wants to show its pride in the armed forces.

Steve Bucknell, mayor of Wootton Bassett, agrees: "I think from our point of view it is essential that when they come back through the town we give them a homecoming that is marked with gratitude and respect.

"We are very proud of our armed forces, we think they are the best in the world, and it doesn't matter what views you have about the war itself, whether you think it is right or wrong, we want to make it possible to offer whatever support we can to the families."

On the opposite side of the road are the massed ranks of media, who have been assembling cameras since the morning.

Some have been here many times before and describe a routine format.

There has been some criticism that a solemn occasion has been turned into a media circus.

The mayor says the media are interested because every soldier's story is unique.

"Every one is a bit different and what makes it different is the family members. You can hear them laughing one moment and talking and meeting up with old friends. It may even seem inappropriate on the surface but as soon as the church bell tolls a different feeling falls and stays for as long as the cortege stays in the High Street.

"Then there will be a very muted return to normality."

The gathering in Wootton Bassett begins spontaneously when members of the public stop and pay their respects to the hearses as they make their way from RAF Lyneham to the coroner in Oxford.

Among the more unusual attendees are the Royal British Legion riders' branch, who park their 30 or so motorcycles a few metres from where the cortege passes.

One member of the public admits he was wary of their leather and denim-clad appearance before he realised many were former members of the armed forces who just happened to like motorcycles.

Gavin Woodroffe, a member of the branch, says: "The town comes out to praise our soldiers for what they have sacrificed. It is also to show the families that they are not forgotten.

"A lot of our members are former servicemen so we know what happens out there, even if the Government doesn't."

Immediate family members arrive less than half an hour before the cortege, having paid their respects in private at nearby RAF Lyneham.

The family of Cpl Thompson speak of their 'pride' in the man who volunteered for active service.

But when the moment of grief comes there is no escaping its impact.

The air seems to concentrate, the grey skies sharpen in relief against the shop roofs, and a single church bell begins to toll.

The chatter of a magpie breaks the silence — one for sorrow.

Muffled sobs rise up and shrieks of anguish follow.

Schoolchildren, unseen but somewhere close, can suddenly be heard playing.

Members of the Royal British Legion provide a guard of honour for the vehicles and a two-minute silence is observed.

Then it is all over and the town gets back to normal.

This is the homecoming no soldier or family wants but one which Wootton Bassett bears with a heavy heart and composed pride.