THE latest victims of the continuing turmoil in Iraq returned to their native soil for the last time yesterday and were given a sombre heroes' welcome.

Grieving relatives were joined by Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram and the Duchess of Gloucester for the sad home-coming.

A C130 Hercules touched down at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire shortly after midday following the flight from Basra.

One by one, bearer parties from each of the men's units slowly unloaded the Union Flag-draped coffins from the back of the aircraft.

They included Fusilier Russell Beeston, 26, the Catterick-based Scotsman who last Wednesday became the 50th British soldier to die in Iraq when he was shot during a firefight.

With his coffin were those of the three military policeman killed when their rented jeep was ambushed in Basra five days earlier,

Warrant Officer Colin Wall, 34, from Middleton One Row, near Darlington, and Major Matthew Titchener, 32 - both Catterick-based - were followed by Corporal Dewi Pritchard, 35, from South Wales.

As the Band of the Welsh Guards played a selection of music, including Beet-hoven's Funeral March, the bodies were then placed into waiting hearses and driven off.

The families and VIPs watched the ceremony in solemn silence from a stand outside the terminal building.

Yesterday, it emerged that Maj Titchener died unaware that the baby his wife Raqual is expecting on Boxing Day is the girl he had longed for.

The 32-year-old had wanted a girl to be his "little angel" alongside his two-year-old son Matheson.

"He was desperate for a daughter, or his 'wee girl' as he called her," said Raqual, a policewoman who lives in Ayr. "When I fell pregnant this time he was adamant it was a girl."

A scan has since proved Maj Titchener was correct and his widow now plans to call their daughter Angel.

"He really liked Angel. I haven't decided yet if it will be a first or a middle name - but it will be in there because she is Daddy's little angel."

WO Wall had three children from two marriages, one an 11-month-old boy, while Cpl Pritchard had a six-year-old daughter and a son aged one. Fusilier Beeston was separated from his wife and the couple had no children.