THE bodies of two Royal Marines from 40 Commando who were killed in Afghanistan have been returned to RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire.

Cpl Stephen Curley, 26, and Marine Scott Taylor, 21, were based at Norton Manor Camp in Taunton.

The body of Gunner Zak Cusack, 20, from the 4th Regiment Royal Artillery, was repatriated at the same time.

Cpl Curley was killed on foot patrol on May 26. He lived in Exeter with wife Kirianne and their baby son.

Mrs Curley said: "It is impossible for me to express what my husband meant to me - daddy to our 18-week-old son, William, and my partner in crime. Stevie was my purpose, what makes me tick.

"A man of few but powerful words when it mattered, he lived by the motto 'if you're not living life on the edge, you're taking up too much room'. This will be forever imprinted on our hearts."

Marine Taylor was killed on Sunday by an explosion while he was part of a foot patrol, in the area around Sangin.

Lt Col Paul James said: "Marine Scott Taylor was everything I needed in a bootneck - proud but not arrogant, loyal but still independent, courageous but not foolhardy, he was an outstanding marine."