ON the day the body of Lance Corporal Adam Drane was brought home to England a book of condolence was opened at his regimental church in west Suffolk to honour his tragic death in Afghanistan.

Jonathan Schofield

ON the day the body of Lance Corporal Adam Drane was brought home to England a book of condolence was opened at his regimental church in west Suffolk to honour his tragic death in Afghanistan.

The book is in The Royal Anglian Regiment Chapel in St Mary's Church, Bury St Edmunds.

Lance Corporal Drane of the 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment - known as the Vikings - was flown back to RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire on Tuesday to be repatriated with his family.

His Union Jack draped coffin was taken through Wootton Bassett and past the town's war memorial where family and friends placed red and yellow roses onto the hearse carrying his body.

Alison Burgess, of the Viking Family Support Group, said: “We would like to invite people to use the book to pass on their messages of condolence to Adam's family, to share their memories of Adam, or just to let the family know that they are in our thoughts and prayers at this time. We will hope it will bring some comfort at such a terrible time.”

The former King Edward VI schoolboy, described as a “great leader” by Captain Ian Robinson of the Royal Anglians, died as a result of small arms fire at a checkpoint in central Helmand Province on Monday, December 7.

The 23-year-old soldier was a keen boxer and music fan who had been in Afghanistan for two months when he died. He was commanding a four-man team in one of Helmand's most challenging areas.

An MoD spokesman said he Battalion had come under fire from insurgents almost every day during his tour of duty.

He leaves behind his parents Des and Jacqueline, younger brother Christopher and his 17-year-old fianc�e Sian, who he was due to marry next year.

The chapel containing the Book of Condolence will be open between 10am and 3pm weekdays and longer at weekends until Christmas Day.