By Pam McClounie

Last updated at 12:27, Thursday, 03 July 2008

Carlisle's Army heroine, Corporal Sarah Louise Bryant, will be buried with full military honours on Monday.

Cpl Sarah Bryant

• Video: north west troops on patrol in Afghanistan

Hundreds of mourners are expected to pay their respects to Cpl Bryant, 26, at a service at Holy Trinity Church in Wetheral at noon – the same church where she was married two years ago.

Cpl Bryant will then be buried at Wetheral Cemetery after the service where shots will be fired and a lone bugler will sound the Last Post.

Hundreds of people, including Cpl Bryant’s grief-stricken parents Des and Maureen Feely, her soldier husband Carl and best friend Krista Whelpdale will all attend the service.

Police and the Army, who are co-ordinating some of the funeral arrangements, are advising people to arrive early for the service.

A police spokesman said: “The road between the church and the cemetery will be closed for a short time. We anticipate that this will be for 15 minutes at about 11.45pm and then again at about 1pm.

“We will react accordingly if we think the road needs to be closed for longer.”

Cpl Bryant, 26, who was in the Intelligence Corps and described by her family as their own Angel of the North, was killed on June 17 in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province.

She was the first female soldier to die in Afghanistan, alongside Cpl Sean Robert Reeve, 28, of the Royal Signals, Lance Cpl Richard Larkin, 39, and Paul Stout, 31.

Cpl Bryant, a keen horsewoman, was posted to Afghanistan in March. She had also served in Iraq.

The former Caldew School pupil had been in the Army for six years and was based in Chicksands, Bedfordshire, as part of the Intelligence Corps’ Psychological Operations Group.

Her body was flown back to the UK two weeks ago draped in a Union flag and was met by her family.

Earlier this week the Taliban fanatic blamed for Cpl Bryant’s death was reported to have been killed.

It was reported that Sadiqullah died alongside nine fellow Taliban fighters following a missile attack that was launched from an Army Apache helicopter.

The family have requested their own flowers only but donations, if desired, will be divided between Help the Hero’s and The Army Benevolent Fund, c/o Walker’s Funeral Directors, 80, Wigton Road, Carlisle.

First published at 11:41, Thursday, 03 July 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk