MEMBERS of Newton Abbot Royal British Legion and local dignitaries marked Decoration Day, on Sunday with a ceremony alongside the war graves in the Ogwell Cross Cemetery.

The local branch is twinned with the Royal Canadian Legion Branch, Medicine Hat, where there are 128 graves of British Servicemen who were killed while training in Canada during the Second World War.

Annually they are remembered at a Decoration Day ceremony in Medicine Hat on the first weekend of June when the headstones are cleaned. On the day poppies are placed on each, apart from the front two rows.

During a short service of remembrance Royal Canadian Legion officers, allied organisations and civil dignitaries place poppies on the remaining headstones.

In the Newton Abbot Cemetery the war graves include three Canadians.

While the numbers of those attending were greatly reduced on Sunday because of Covid 19 restrictions, a shortened ceremony was led by the RBL branch chaplain the Rev Bruce Porter.

Bugler Benjamin Balsom, of the Newton Abbot Army Cadet Force who is also attached to the Devon Army Cadet Corps of Drums, sounded The Last Post and Reveille.

Among those attending and placing poppy crosses on the graves was Cllr Mike Joyce the Newton Abbot mayor, RBL branch chairman Richard Underhill, Dave Cair RBL branch vice-chairman, Mike Stark RBL standard bearer, Capt Mike Leaman HQ D Coy, Devon Army Cadet Force, and Keith Stokes Smith Lord of the Newton Abbot Manorial Borough.

Following the ceremony a wreath was laid at the Newton Abbot war memorial on the 77th anniversary of D Day, to remember those who lost their lives.