On Remembrance Sunday, thousands pay their respects to fallen service members

On the Sunday honouring veterans and military personnel who have died in service to their country, thousands pay their respects.

On the Sunday designated to remember those who have died in service to their country, thousands of people attend memorial services.

On the Sunday that honours those who have died while serving their country in times of war or conflict everywhere in the world, West Oxfordshire residents paid tribute to the brave men and women who gave their lives while serving their country.

Both the act of remembrance held at the war memorial on Church Green and the church service held at St. Mary's were attended by hundreds of people in the town of Witney.

The Witney Town Council referred to the large number of attendees as "a great turn out."

"Our young people's organisations and the members of our Royal British Legion never cease to astonish me with their level of dedication and passion for the event.

"We'd want to thank everyone who came along and did such a good job representing the community," said the organisers.

During the Act of Remembrance, the Last Post was played, after which there was a moment of silence for two minutes, and then the Reveille was played.

In their formations were individuals, groups, and organisations such as the air cadets, Scouts, Guides, Brownies, Cubs, Beavers, Girls and Boys Brigades, police cadets, fire cadets, St. John's Ambulance, both secondary schools, churches, the Town Band, and a great number of other organisations.

Students from Henry Box School and Wood Green School made an announcement in which they listed the names of at least 28 organisations that had deposited wreaths at the War Memorial.

They were made up of people like Robert Courts, who is the MP for Witney, Cllr. Liz Duncan, who is the Mayor of Witney, Cllr. Julian Cooper, who is the Chairman of the West Oxfordshire District Council, and people from the Oxfordshire County Council.

In addition, there was a memorial service held in Carterton, which was attended by around 2,000 individuals.

After the church service was over, the parade was led back to the War Memorial by the RAF Cadet Band and a squadron of thirty military members from RAF Brize Norton.

Councillor Nick Leverton, Mayor of Carterton, and Ron Spurs, Deputy Lieutenant, laid the first wreaths during the ceremony. Next up was Group Captain Claire O'Grady, Station Commander of RAF Brize Norton, who laid the final wreath at the ceremony.

Councillor Michele Mead, on behalf of Robert Courts, Member of Parliament, laid the wreath. Other municipal leaders, as well as a significant number of local groups and organisations, also laid wreaths and paid their respects.

A bugler from the RAF Voluntary Band played the Last Post and Reveille. The moving background music was played by the Brize Norton Military Wives Choir.