The strain shows on the face of a high ranking army officer as he leaves yet another memorial service for a solider killed in Iraq.

Corporal Matthew Cornish 29 of the first battalion of the light infantry was killed by a mortar shell which landed on his base at the old state building in Basra, his memorial was held at leeds parish church at 10.30am sunday.

Ironically the mother of Corporal Cornish is a long standing peace activist Anni Rainbow, along with fellow peace activist Lindis Percy they have held a regular peace camp outside Menwith hill since 1992.
Annie Rainbow failed to attend the service as she has been taken seriously ill falling to a stroke within weeks of her sons death. Close friends of Anni talked of how the news has destroyed her, she has had to face up to all her worst fears and unfortunately the shock was just to much for Anni, already wheelchair bound through illness to take, she strongly condemned this war and now she has paid the ultimate price not only losing her son but with it her health as well.

The service was a solemn affair attended by a handful of friends, family and local dignitaries who constantly kept one eye on the door in the hope that Matthew's mother may eventually find the strength to attend, but it was not to be, her epitaph, to fall to her worst fear, the death of her son in a war she so strongly despised.