THE words of the poem "They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old" become more poignant every year as fewer Second World War veterans parade on Remembrance Sunday.

The number of young people taking part in the Marlborough Remembrance Day parade now outnumbers the British Legion contingent by more than two to one.

Alec Light, the chairman of the Royal British Legion branch in Marlborough, welcomed the support of the youth organisations.

Mr Light, who carried the legion standard on Sunday, said: "It was a very good parade, as good as any we have had in recent years with lots of young people on parade.

"It is good to see the young people showing their support because gradually the number of ex servicemen and women is dwindling."

Youth organisations taking part in Sunday's parade included Scouts, Cubs, Guides, Marlborough Squadron Air Force Cadets, Marlborough Army Cadet Force and Marlborough College Combined Cadet Force.

Cadets from the college mounted a guard of honour at the war memorial in New Road during the morning until the parade arrived.

The procession assembled in the High Street and included members and supporters of the Royal British Legion, Royal Naval Association, the Mayor Coun Bill Cavill and town councillors and members of town fire station led by Station Officer David Ward. Sgt Martyn Sweett represented the police. The procession was led by the Phoenix Band

Standards on parade included the Royal British Legion, the RBL Women's section, Royal Naval Association, Air Training Corps, Army cadets, College CCF and Scouts and Guides.

During the wreath laying ceremony piper Harry Scott-Dempster, from Marlborough College, played the lament Dark Island.

Last Post and Reveille was sounded by Phoenix Band soprano cornet player Anthony Palmer.

War heroes and community groups who took part in Devizes' Remembrance Day parade were delighted at the public turn out.

More than 200 people lined the Market Place and Long Street and the parade comprised 220 people, including 23 war veterans, mainly from the Second World War but also some serving soldiers from the Royal Logistics Corps.

The rest of the parade included Guides, Brownies, Scouts and Cubs plus members of the Royal British Legion, the Army cadet force the Air Training Corps, the fire service.

The parade marched from the Market Place led by the Devizes Boys' Brigade Old Boys' Band to St John's Church in Long Street for a church service taken by Canon John Record.

The service was followed by wreath laying at the war memorial.

Jim Thorpe, the parade marshal, said: "Remembrance Sunday is a commemoration to fallen heroes and veterans and community groups who took part in the parade were delighted at the numbers who lined the streets to pay their respects.

"For a town of this size it was a superb demonstration of how the community supports the occasion."

On Saturday a wreath laying ceremony was held at the war memorial by old comrades of the 4th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment.

Wreaths were laid by Captain Max Blackman, who served with the 5th Battalion for the Market Garden Association, and for the Normandy Veterans Association by Fred Hughes.

The exhortation was read by Jeff Matthews, the secretary of the Vly Club 4th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment Old Comrades.