Military veterans, town council members and residents from all walks of life gathered at St James Chapel in Okehampton this week to commemorate Armistice Day with a moving service of remembrance.

The service, which was held on November 11, was conducted by Reverend Mike Davies and joined by Bob Tolley, chairman of the Royal British Legion in Okehampton.

Mike said: “Remembrance is important because we must honour those who have gone before us and sacrificed their lives, while also striving for peace today through conversation rather than warfare.

“Some people tend to forget that there are battles happening right now.”

The two-minute silence was poignantly marked by a trumpeter, who played a short tune to begin the period of reflection.

The chapel’s organist, Ann Cloke, provided music for the hymns throughout the service.

Cllr Richard Colman, Okehampton mayor, said: “It can be very easy to forget what other people have sacrificed in order to live how we are now. When you get older and start to lose people in your own life, you start to understand the sacrifices that these men and women made to make our future a brighter one.”

Despite the drizzly weather, the remembrance service was well-attended.

Amongst attendees were veterans who had served in the Falklands or Afghanistan, standing shoulder to shoulder with local residents in quiet reflection.