SEE THE SLIDEHSOW

Under overcast skies across the Westcountry, thousands of people gathered in cities, towns, and villages to pay their respects to those who lost their lives on the battlefield fighting for their country.

At Remembrance Sunday ceremonies yesterday the grieving families of the fallen stood alongside members of the public to honour the war dead.

Prayers were said for those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the two world wars, plus conflicts in Korea, Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Iraq, Afghanistan – and for the wounded left to live with their scars.

In Exeter, services were held at the war memorial in Northernhay Gardens and the city's cathedral.

Rifleman Mark Marshall, the police community support officer, who died while serving with the TA in Afghanistan in February, was honoured as his family and friends joined the service at the cathedral.

His sister, Jo Dalton, said: "Mark was obviously at the forefront of our minds this Remembrance Day but we wanted to be there to show our support for every serviceman and woman as well.

"That two-minute silence was always going to be the hardest part.

"When you're talking, you don't have to think, but in those two minutes we were obviously thinking about Mark."

Lieutenant John Sanderson, a former University of Exeter student who died in an explosion in August, and senior aircraftman Kinikki Griffiths, of Exmouth, who was killed in a road crash while on patrol in Camp Bastion in July were remembered.

Corporal Stephen Curley, 26, of Exeter, and Corporal Stephen Walker, 42, of Exmouth, both members of Royal Marines 40 Commando, died in explosions in Helmand province in May.

Rifleman Carlo Apolis, 28, a hotel manager in Exeter, and Corporal Stephen Thompson, 31, of Bovey Tracy, in Afghanistan were also honoured.

In Northernhay Gardens service units and standard bearers, ranging from Second World War veterans to young children from the Sea Scouts, marched towards the war memorial.

Ceremonies were also supported by 70 cadets from across Exeter, aged between 13 and 20, from the city of Exeter and St Thomas squadrons.

In Exmouth there was a march to the war memorial in Strand Gardens, with various standard bearers. Among those who attended the service was Ian Sadler, 60, whose son Jack, 21, was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.

He said: "I believe firmly we must remain behind our forces in whatever trouble spot they are involved in."

Similar ceremonies took place in Sidmouth – where a new standard dedicated by the Sidmouth Army Cadets corps joined the parade for the first time – Honiton, Seaton, Ottery St Mary, Tiverton and Colyton.

In Bodmin, North Cornwall about 100 people gathered at the memorial at The Keep, the regimental museum for the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Lady Mary Holborrow, the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, attended the ceremony along with the Bodmin branch of the Cornwall Army Cadet Force, 155 Royal Logistics Corp – Territorial Army and the 6th Battalion the Rifles.

A lone bugler played The Last Post and a minute's silence was observed before those gathered walked half a mile to Priory Park where more wreaths were laid.

At 11am, in Truro, the city centre fell silent as people lined Boscawen Street for a minute's silence.

Falklands War veteran Bill Taylor, 64, who served with the Royal Navy for 24 years, marched to the memorial to lay a wreath in memory of his fallen comrades.

Mr Taylor, from Truro, a member of the South Atlantic Medal Association 1982 who served on HMS Invincible during the Falklands conflict, said: "My thoughts today are with four of my colleagues who didn't make it home. I'm also thinking about my great uncle James Maunder who died during the First World War in 1916."

Later at 2.15pm about 1,000 people gathered at the memorial for The Royal British Legion Truro Branch Remembrance Sunday service.

Barbara Schmid, mother of bomb disposal expert Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid, 30, from Truro, killed in October last year in Afghanistan, laid a wreath for her fallen son.

It read: "To Olaf. From your family. RIP my son we miss you."

Lorraine Read, widow of Captain Daniel Read, from St Columb Road, Newquay, laid a wreath.

Captain Read, 31, from St Columb Road, Newquay, died in an explosion in Afghanistan in January this year three months after being injured in an earlier blast.

Speaking after the ceremony, Mrs Read said: "It means a lot to me to see so many people here today paying their respects."

A service was then held at Truro Cathedral.