THOUSANDS lined the pavements, grass areas and paths up to the War Memorial in Poole Park for the annual Remembrance Sunday event.

The band from Poole Sea Cadets led the parade, which was made up of military personnel and veterans from the services, including those from HMS Cattistock, Poole’s affiliated warship, and navy, air and army cadets.

See all the pictures from Poole's Remembrance Sunday service in a gallery 

Residents, civic dignitaries and members of the emergency services also attended to pay their respects to fallen relatives and reflect on the 100th anniversary year since the start of the First World War and 70 years since D-Day.

The mayor of Poole, Cllr Peter Adams, and Jacqueline Swift, Deputy Lieutenant of Dorset laid the first wreaths against the war memorial, while the Mayor’s Chaplain, the Rev Canon Anthony MacRow-Wood, led the service and congregation.

Mr MacRow-Wood said: “In answer to the question, ‘Is Remembrance Day still relevant?’, we can only answer a resounding ‘Yes’. Those who we are remembering today died fighting for a better world. We need to be thankful for their memory.

“We need to be faithful and constant in praying for peace and the last resort, we must never forget the impetus which brought Rememb-rance Day into being.

“In the First World War, after soldiers returned and told of the horrors of war, people up and down the land said ‘This must never happen again. Anybody who has experienced the full horror of war says likewise.”

Ronald Burr, 90, pictured inset, from Baiter Park in Poole, attended the service, after receiving his Burma Star award this year, which he earned at the age of 19 after serving with the Royal Corps of Signals.

He said: “The service went very nicely and was well-presented. My granddaughter asked me before if I had any medals and I said that I had earned the Burma Star but had never received it, so we applied for it and I was very proud to be able to wear it today.”