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Joy as detainees arrive home
06/04/2007 07:56 - (SA)
Royal Marines Base Chivenor, England - Tears flowed as relieved relatives hugged returning British detainees on Thursday at a base in southwest England following their two weeks in Iranian captivity.
In a joint statement the ex-captives said their ordeal had been "very difficult", but voiced joy at their homecoming.
"I'm ecstatic to be back and can't wait to get home," said Adam Sperry(22) while Arthur Batchelor (20) added: "We started this thing together as a team and I'm glad that we've been reunited with our families as a team."
"The past two weeks have been very difficult but by staying together as a team we kept our spirits up, drawing great comfort from the knowledge that our loved ones would be waiting for us on our return to the UK," they said.
The families, some of whom had described the past two weeks as a living "nightmare", gathered at RMB Chivenor in Devon to welcome them back from their ordeal.
Laughter and chatter
Dressed in military fatigues having left Tehran in new Iranian suits, the 15 service personnel were formally welcomed with hugs and handshakes from naval officials.
Then their joyous families, who had been inside pressed up against the windows with beaming smiles and frantically waving, rushed to greet them in an emotional reunion.
Relatives hugged and kissed them and took photographs in the warm spring sunshine, while some of the former captives made mobile phone calls.
Parents, siblings, wives, girlfriends and children were among the throng as laughter and chatter filled the air.
They were greeted by the chief of the armed forces, Air Chief Marshall Jock Stirrup, who paid tribute to how they had handled the ordeal.
"I have met them briefly simply to say well done and welcome home. They seem very happy and in great shape," he said. "They did exactly what they should have done and we are extremely proud of them."
- AFP
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