The national day of remembrance was set up in 2006 by the then Chancellor Gordon Brown who decreed it an annual event to be held on June 27.

In Pudsey, those gathered celebrated in style with military vehicles and standard bearers.

Hymns were sung and prayers and poems were read out to the crowd, which included the Lord Mayor of Leeds Coun Frank
Robinson and an ex-SAS corporal.

Alan Fleet, who served with the Malayan Scouts during the "Malayan Emergency" in Malaya (now known as Malaysia) and Korea in 1950 and 1951, rescued one Australian and seven Americans during one of his missions.
He said: "I got them out of a nasty situation, put it that way. "

The American style military vehicles took the veterans to Pudsey Civic Hall after the ceremony, where entertainment, food and drinks were provided.

Fred Benson, who served in the Sahara Desert in Egypt during the Second World War, said: "We like coming. When you look at the memorial you realise that there's been fellas who have died before us."

Four standard bearers from the Royal British Legion, the Royal Navy, the Normandy Veterans and the Royal Military Police were at the service, in which the Rev Paul Tudge from St John's Church in Farsley gave the address.