FALLEN soldiers, army veterans, and inspiring servicemen and women were honoured during a touching service in Manningtree.

Veterans and residents poured into the streets of Manningtree to join the parade and the civic service marking Remembrance Sunday.

The traditional Remembrance Sunday and wreath-laying service took place at the Manningtree War Memorial on Sunday, November 10.

The Parade of Standards started at 2.50pm from South Street, Manningtree, down to the High Street to the Manningtree War Memorial, where the official service began at 3pm with Reverent Dom Turner addressing the gathered crowd.

Poppy wreaths were laid at the foot of the memorial as an atmosphere of both sadness and defiance filled the air. Hundreds of spectators joined the First Responders, local fire men, Army Cadets, police cadets, the Free Masons and the Rotarians at the Parade of the Standards and then the civic service.

Ruth Stocks, Mayor of Manningtree, said it was a very lovely, nice and touching afternoon.

She said: “Dom Turner, the vicar, talked about the town and remembered those who have fallen.

“He said a prayer and I did a reading, followed by two minutes of silence in the middle of the service.

“It made me feel emotional when they read out the fallen heroes of Manningtree, as the war must have wiped out members of every family.

“My eyes were quite wet to be honest.”

She said she felt really saddened to think that the majority of the families in Manningtree, if not all, were affected during the war.

People were dressed formally, wearing medals, while ex-servicemen and women wore their unit’s headdress.

Parades and services took place thorough the whole district, from Harwich to Clacton and Manningtree.

Mrs Stocks said they organised the event in Manningtree in the afternoon, so people who wished to attend services and parades elsewhere during the morning, such as in Clacton or in Harwich could all join in and then come back to Manningtree.

Hundreds of residents have attended the parade and the civic service, which was very well received.