Wife and town say farewell (From South Wales Argus)

AROUND 650 people said goodbye yesterday to a Gwent father and his two children who died in a house fire on an RAF base in Cyprus. LAURA EVANS reports.

FULL military honours were bestowed on RAF corporal Andy Greenough as his family and friends said farewell to the father and his two young children.

Hundreds lined the streets of his home town in Abertillery to pay their last respects to the popular serviceman and children Evan Rhys, five, and Nia Sian, two.

The three died in their house fire at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, on March 17, where Corporal Greenough, 37, was stationed. Corporal Greenough's widow Eirlys, from Merthyr Tydfil, was not at the house at the time of the blaze.

As the funeral cortege travelled up High Street, mourners wept when they saw the smaller joint coffin of Evan and Nia. Their coffin was draped in a Welsh flag and carried by members of their family including their uncle, Ospreys star, Shaun Connor.

Their coffin followed that of their father's which was draped in a Union Flag with his blue RAF cap and medals placed on top.

Six RAF comrades carried Corporal Greenough's coffin which was saluted by a military guard outside St Michael's Church.

The service was conducted by Vicar of Abertillery, the Reverend Patrick Coleman, the Reverend Matthew Hall of Pant Church, Merthyr Tydfil, and Padre Rog Hardman of RAF Akrotiri.

Wing Commander Hardman gave a touching tribute to the father and children. He spoke of Corporal Greenough's love of Action Man when he was a child. He had been a member of Blaina Air Cadets in his teenage years as he always wanted to be in the RAF.

Wing Commander Hardman described how Corporal Greenough joined the RAF in February 1990 and met his wife Eirlys at a hangar dance at RAF St Athan.

The pair married at Pant Church, Merthyr Tydfil in 1998. In October 1999, Corporal Greenough was posted to the Falklands and was due to spend the Millennium out there.

Mr Hall said: "It was said to have been a bit of luck for him as he dislocated his shoulder while playing rugby for the RAF against the Navy in that December.

"After receiving medical treatment in the UK he was flown first class to Cyprus (where he and Eirlys were based) to see in the Millennium with Eirlys and their friends."

In 2001 while based at RAF Lyneham the couple had Evan and in 2004 they had Nia. In October of that year they went back to Cyprus to set up home at RAF Akrotiri.

"Evan attended Akrotiri pre-school and his parents were very proud of him when he was chosen to play Joseph in the Christmas production in 2005," said Mr Hall.

"He couldn't wait to go to the big school and didn't like weekends because it meant he wasn't there with his friends."

Nia attended Akrotiri creche and Mr Hall described her as "a quiet little girl."

All three of them were said to have adored their puppy Oscar who had been found abandoned in Cyprus. They were getting ready to bring Oscar home to the UK in November this year.

Mr Hall said that Corporal Greenough would be remembered for his service to Queen and country and for the love he had for his family.

It read: "Andy, Evan and Nia loved life and they were my life. They had a special ability to make me laugh or smile in an instant.

Members of the RAF and Army, representatives from RAF Akrotiri, past and present members of Blaina Air Cadets, the Mayor of Blaenau Gwent and Abertillery councillor Nigel Daniels attended the service.

All remained outside the church in absolute silence while the cortege made its way to the Gwent Crematorium for cremation.

A favourite song of Corporal Greenough's, Slade's Come Feel the Noise, was played at the end of the crematorium service.

COMMUNITY HAS SUPPORTED FAMILY - VICAR

REVEREND Coleman told the Argus: "The community has really got the family through this difficult time.

"Andrew was a very popular and well-known person. He came from a large family well-known to everyone in the area. We have had a lot of people coming to the church and signing our book of condolence.

"There is a real sense of love and support to the family."

The commander of the Cyprus Air Base where Corporal Greenough and his family died said it was an "overwhelming tragedy".

Lieutenant Colonel Duncan Kavanagh flew to the UK to represent the RAF base at the funeral.

"It is a very difficult day for us all, servicemen, friends, and fellow pupils at Evan's and Nia's creche in Cyprus," he said.

"Andy and the children were all hugely popular and I am here today to pass on my condolences to the family on everyone's behalf.

"The scale of the tragedy is absolutely unbelievable. Fellow servicemen and their families all wish for their sincere condolences to be past on at the service, so many of them wanted to be here today."