WE WOULD all like to thank everyone who turned out to welcome home my son, Pte Jay Lee Sawyer, and the Mayor of Carterton Lynn Little who comforted us at this difficult time.

Our thanks go to the Royal British Legion and veterans, the people who came from all over, the people ofCarterton, the Royal Logistic Corps and the Regiment of 2 Mercian.

Thank you also to his close friends Mitch Williams, Ashley Battensby, James Hackworthy and Marius Mostert and the Royal Air Force at Brize Norton, and all his troop back in Cyprus.

Jay would have been very proud of the welcome home everybody gave him.

I have to thank Cpt Steve Hopkinson for all his help and support during our difficult times.

TRACY SAWYER via email

Editor’s note: Private Sawyer was a chef attached to the 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment Battlegroup serving with a United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus, when he was killed in a canoeing accident. He was repatriated to RAF Brize Norton on Thursday.