Macedonia

Royal Engineers

A solemn ceremony was held on the runway at Skopje Airport

Friday, 31 August, 2001.

Sapper Ian Collins body flown home

Fellow soldiers acted as pall-bearers and formed an honour guard, 
which included an American contingent.

Several hundred mourners gathered at the funeral of Paratrooper Ian Collins as the soldier was laid to rest on Friday with full military honours

The body of British soldier Sapper Ian Collins, who died serving with Nato's arms collection mission in Macedonia, has been flown home for burial. The 22-year-old from Sheffield died after a concrete slab was dropped onto the windscreen of his vehicle by Macedonian youths. 

His death prompted criticism of the manner of Britain's intervention in the latest Balkan crisis.
The dead man's father, Kevin Collins, criticised Nato for using troops in what was a "civil conflict". 

A special military ceremony was held in Skopje before the soldier's body was flown back to RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire on Friday evening.