SPONTANEOUS applause broke through the silent tears as Blackburn Royal Marine David Fairbrother, shot dead in Afganistan, returned home yesterday.

Sobs shook the bodies of those who watched him grow up, join up and tragically die doing a job he loved.

His mum Julie held her head high and was a picture of poise and determined pride as his family and friends gathered in the Memorial Garden at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.

They were joined by around 2,000 people from the services, the Royal British Legion, and the local area, all of whom bowed their heads, offering unspoken prayers as his cortege passed by.

Earlier the family had taken part in a private ceremony at RAF Brize Norton after his body was flown in from Afghanistan.

His mother Julie, sisters Ruth and Emily and close family and friends stood on the paved area waiting for his return, where the largest air base in Europe dominates the green fields.

They watched in silence as the RAF C-17 aeroplane landed just a few hundred metres away, carrying the bodies of two fallen heroes.

They were then taken over to the base to see him in a specially-made repatriation centre.

The former QEGS pupil was shot dead in the early hours of Monday after his ambushed patrol came under fire in Helmand province.

David and his colleagues had been providing support to an Afghan National Army patrol in the Khorgajat area.

Despite the best efforts of the medics on the ground and being airlifted for treatment, he was pronounced dead on arrival at Camp Bastion Role 3 Hospital.

He had been due to return home on October 28. It was his first tour after passing out in September last year.

At the Memorial Gardens, as the moment approached for the cortege to arrive people huddled together for protection against the wind and spoke of the fragility of life.

As the first police motorbike drove through, the talking stopped and heads turned to welcome a hero.

David’s girlfriend Melissa broke down in tears. His sisters Emily, 20, and Ruth, held hands and wept as the hearse drew near.

Each placed a single rose on the roof and a hand on the window of the vehicle to say another goodbye to the 24-year-old.

Julie blew a kiss and as the cortege rolled on, Ruth reached out in vain, choked with tears, while his grandfather offered support.

Amongst the flowers placed were sunflowers for a Royal Marine called ‘the sunshine of my life’ by his brokenhearted mum Julie.

Following a moment of silence an emphatic round of applause broke out as the cortege moved off towards Oxford.

There were two repatriations yesterday, with L/Cpl Jonathan McKinley of the 1st Rifles also brought home. He died in the same district of Helmand as David last week.

The two families stood separated by Royal British Legion Bikers and a half-mast flag, yet united in personal tragedy.

Oxford British Legion parade marshall Mike Henderson led the standard bearers, who saluted with their regiment’s flags.

Brize Norton is fast establishing its own spontaneous customs.

The first repatriation held earlier this month was for David’s 42 Commando Sergeant Barry Weston. David was the last person to speak to him before he was killed by an IED.

Afterwards the family said they were ‘overwhelmed’ by the response and the turnout, with more than 2,000 people lining the roads and traffic brought to a standstill.

The Mayor of Carterton Norman MacRae said: “Nobody wants a repatriation because it means another young man has fallen.

“But we are proud to come together and offer support for the families of the servicemen.

“It is our opportunity to show the families how much support the public has for the sacrifices their loved ones have made.

“I have offered my condolences to Marine David Fairbrother’s family. It is an absolutely desperate situation. People get older and die, they are not supposed to go so young. It is only right we pay our respects.”

Steve Radband, spokesman for the Royal British Legion, said: “The people of Wootton Bassett just stopped one day and it grew and grew from there.

“It is only right that we carry on that tradition and have something in place for the public to pay their respects and to give support to the family. The people here take pride in doing our best for them.

“This is the hardest part of the job. My son is in the Paras and on his third tour of Afghanistan so I know what the family is up against. Any time a soldier is killed another young man is lost.

“When that silent cortege comes to a halt, it brings a lump to my throat.”

One Brize Norton resident said: “It is an unbelievable response, there are thousands of people here.

"We’ve all come to pay our respects to men that have given everything and paid the ultimate price for their country.”