Murdered soldier's funeral
The funeral of a Great Yarmouth woman's soldier son, who was killed by an Afghan policeman, has taken place.Warrant Officer Class 1 Darren Chant, 40, Regimental Sergeant Major of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, was the most senior of five UK servicemen shot dead by an officer they had been training in southern Afghanistan on November 3.
The funeral of a Great Yarmouth woman's soldier son, who was killed by an Afghan policeman, has taken place.
Warrant Officer Class 1 Darren Chant, 40, Regimental Sergeant Major of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, was the most senior of five UK servicemen shot dead by an officer they had been training in southern Afghanistan on November 3.
He left his widow, Nausheen Chant, who is due to give birth to their son in February, and three children from a previous marriage, Connor, 16, Adam, 11, and Victoria, nine.
The family joined WO1 Chant's mum Elizabeth and 700 other mourners who packed into the Guards Chapel at Wellington Barracks in central London for the soldier's funeral.
His mum, Elizabeth Chant, 59, who has lived in Yarmouth since 1987, previously told the Evening News that she was “so proud” of her son.
She said: “He was the bravest boy ever. All he ever wanted to be was a soldier. He wanted to be in the best regiment and I never thought of trying to change his mind.”
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WO1 Chant, 40, who grew up in Luton, had been in the army since 1986 and was one if his regiment's most experience soldiers, having served in the 1991 Iraq War, Northern Ireland, Bosnia and previously in Afghanistan.
His funeral yesterday was held at the same church where he married his wife just four months ago.
The Duke of Edinburgh attended the occasion in his role as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards.
After meeting WO1 Chant's family privately before the service, Prince Philip emerged to pause and bow his head in front of the hearse containing the soldier's coffin before entering the chapel.
The soldier's widow, children and ex-wife Connie followed a few minutes later.
Bearers then carried in the coffin, which was draped in a Union flag and bore a poppy wreath and the soldier's cap and belt.
Warrant Officer Class 2 Sean Bate, who was best man at WO1 Chant's wedding in September, said: “Today we lay to rest not only a great soldier and sergeant major of our regiment, the Grenadier Guards, but a loving husband, a great father, son and an awesome friend, a brother that I never had.”
