THE Minster bells started their mournful tolling a full 15 minutes before the Lance Bombardier’s funeral cortege arrived in Deangate.

Led by a police escort the cortege had slowly made its way through Monk Bar and Goodramgate, with many people stopping and watching in silence as it passed.

For the final 100 metres the cortege, carrying Matthew’s coffin draped in the Union Flag, was escorted by three standard bearers to the Minster steps.

More than 1,000 members of the public had gathered to pay their respects.

They watched in silence as about two dozen standards from regiments around the North were lowered as Matthew’s coffin was lifted out of the hearse.

Borne on the shoulders of men from the Royal Artillery, the coffin was carried through a guard of honour on the Minster steps, with Matthew’s family following behind. As Matthew’s body was taken into the Minster the standards outside were again raised.

Dave Sykes-Waller, representing the York branch of the Coldstream Guards Association said it was good so many people had made the effort to show their respects to Matthew.

He said: “He was the first [to die in Afghanistan] and I hope he’s the last from York.”

John Mosley, of Tadcaster Road, York, said: “I have come here today to show respect for a brave young lad. I feel proud yet very sad. I am a local and felt it was only right to come and show my support for the family.”

The funeral service lasted about 40 minutes and many members of the public waited outside. The silence was broken as people burst into spontaneous applause as the coffin, again carried by soldiers from the Royal Artillery, was placed into the hearse.

The funeral cortege then drove to a private burial at Haxby and Wigginton Cemetery.

Matthew was laid to rest with full military honours. As the Union Flag was taken from his coffin and folded before being presented to Mr and Mrs Hatton, the Last Post was played by a bugler from the Royal Horse Artillery. Soldiers from the Royal Artillery then fired three volleys into the air as Matthew’s coffin was lowered into the ground before the bugler played Reveille.

Hero's farewell for Matthew

HUNDREDS of mourners gathered in York Minster as York said its final farewell to war hero Matthew Hatton>>

Relatives, friends and comrades of the 23-year-old Lance Bombardier from Haxby were joined by military veterans, city leaders and members of the public, for a service of thanksgiving yesterday, three weeks after Matthew was killed in a double-explosion in Afghanistan’s notorious Helmand province.

Family, close friends and dignitaries packed the Quire while mourners also gathered in the Minster’s Nave.

Canon Glyn Webster, who led the service, said: “On behalf of the city, we say to Matthew’s family – we stand with you in your grief, and our hearts are moved to the core of their being with sadness.”

Outside the church, in Goodramgate, Deangate and Minster Yard, crowds were gathering an hour before the cortege arrived, while inside the Minster, the usual hustle and bustle of summer crowds was replaced by poignancy and emotion.

Just after 2pm, members of the Royal Artillery slowly carried Matthew’s coffin, draped in the Union Flag, through the South Door of the Minster and the congregation stood as one as the coffin was carried into the church, honouring one of the city’s greatest heroes in its greatest building.

The coffin was sprinkled with water, as a reminder of Matthew’s baptism in St Mary’s Church, Haxby, before being carried into the Quire, followed by his parents Jill and Phil, sisters Becky and Vicky, and other relatives.

Canon Webster said it was an honour, but not a pleasure, to host the service and led prayers ahead of the first hymn, I Vow To Thee My Country.

The Rev Steve Jarratt, vicar of St Mary’s, in Haxby, also read from John 14:1-6, in which Jesus tells his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.”

After the second hymn, The Lord’s My Shepherd, Matthew’s sisters Vicky and Becky read moving poems and told how their brother had always urged them not to be sad if the worst should happen, but instead “always remember that he loved his job”.

Matthew Segar, an old classmate of Matthew’s at both Oaken Grove Primary School and Easingwold School, recalled their boyhood days playing together and collecting Army paraphernalia on Strensall Common.

He said: “I have just lost a very special person in my life and one of the few things I can hold on to, to accept it, is that it was what Matthew had always wanted to do.

“The loss is great and the impact is hard, but there is no way such an outstanding person can or ever will be forgotten.”

He called him a “perfect soldier and a perfect friend”.

Matthew’s cousins Chris and Sarah Phillips described “how to make a Matthew Hatton” – a mixture of hard work, strength of character, kindness, naughtiness, sense of humour, and goodness.

One of the most moving tributes came from Army Padre, Rev Andrew Martlew, who said: “I bet God did the same thing as everybody else did when they met Matthew Philip Hatton – I bet God smiled.”

After the final hymn, Jerusalem, Matthew’s coffin was carried back out of the Minster, ahead of a private military funeral in Haxby.

‘He was a really, really lovely guy’

The Rev Andrew Martlew, chaplain of Matthew’s regiment, the 40 Regiment Royal Artillery, said the tributes were “not just the things you say at a funeral – they were true”.

He said: “He was a really, really lovely guy and a pleasure to know.

“He was a young man that people instinctively liked. He was not just a nice guy though. He was a highly-skilled, competent and very enthusiastic soldier doing an extremely demanding job. He had a high level of skill and a monumental amount of courage.

“He was genuinely a pleasure to know. He was one of the best, and one of a great number of young men that our nation has asked to risk their lives to make this land a safer place and a foreign land a better place.

“They do their job with professionalism and pride and it is only when tragedy strikes that the nation gets a glimpse of what their service, courage and commitment actually mean and cost.”

Eleanor Mercer asked those standing outside York Minster why they were there...

“My son served in the Navy. You know they are doing a brave thing by serving their country, but this outcome doesn’t bear thinking about. It is every mother’s worst nightmare.”

“I watched Matthew’s coffin carried into the Minster. I think it was nice that they were showing so much respect. I think his family are very sad that he died.”

“Me and my friends have all come over from Selby to pay our respects. Our deepest sympathies are with his family at this difficult time.”

“I’m on holiday from Cambridge with my family. We’re staying in Haxby and heard about this tragedy, so I felt it was appropriate to come here today and pay my respects.”

“The forces are doing such an amazing job where they are and I wanted to come and pay my respects to a brave member of our Army.”

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