Pallbearers carried four flag-draped caskets to a waiting Hercules transport aircraft in a ceremony at Kandahar airfield as the fallen soldiers' journey home began.

More than 3,000 coalition troops -- Canadian, American, British, Australian, Dutch, French, Romanian and Estonian -- lined the runway.

They were there to say goodbye to Cpl. Randy Payne, Cpl. Matthew Dinning, Bombardier Myles Mansell and Lieut. William Turner.

The four died Saturday when a roadside bomb detonated under their G-Wagon jeep as they travelled from Gumbad, Afghanistan to Kandahar, a journey of about 75 kilometres. The site of the explosion was a dried-up riverbed.

Their deaths are the worst one-day combat loss for Canadian troops since the Korean War.

Their final journey home began when four light armoured vehicles took their metal coffins to the edge of the formation.

Eight soldiers were on pallbearer duty for each soldier.

"Into your hands Lord, we humbling entrust our brothers,'' intoned Padre David McLeod.

"In this life, you have raised them with your tender love. Deliver them now from every evil.''

They carried the coffins past the formation and into the aircraft, a bagpiper solemnly following them from behind.

On board the aircraft, Canadian Brig.-Gen. David Fraser, the coalition commander in southern Afghanistan, and some of his personal protection force said their own goodbyes.

Two of the soldiers had been part of Fraser's protection force. He affectionately called the group his "posse."

Fraser had been on a goodwill tour to Gumbad on Friday, but he returned by helicopter. The two dead men overnighted in Gumbad.

Outside coalition headquarters in Kandahar, the Canadian flag flew at half-mast.

In Ottawa, the Canadian flag remained at normal station above the Parliament buildings.

The new Conservative government has said it won't follow the Liberals' tradition of lowering the flag to half-mast every time a Canadian soldier is killed.

Fifteen Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died in Afghanistan since 2002.

The coalition is investigating this latest attack. The four soldiers' bodies are to arrive Tuesday at CFB Trenton in eastern Ontario.

With files from The Canadian Press