People of all ages gathered to honour 154 brave servicemen who died for their country.

Veterans in military regalia, standard bearers, and civilians stood shoulder to shoulder at Astwood Cemetery in Worcester for the annual Service of Remembrance.

They planted crosses and laid wreaths in a moving and personal ceremony.

Today, the veterans resting place is cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The ceremony, a promise kept for over half a century, gave attendees the opportunity to reflect and remember Polish, British, and Allied soldiers who could not be repatriated.

The event honoured all those who fell in war, prisoners of war, and their families, with an emphasis on a message of peace.

Among the 95 scattered burials from the First World War and 46 from the Second World War, the attendees stood before a small plot, where many of the brave souls now rest.

While most are from the United Kingdom, there are also three Poles, one Canadian, and one Czechoslovakian.

The ceremony also remembered the three Italian and five German soldiers who, though once part of opposing forces, are now part of a shared history of reconciliation and peace.

The service was organised by Robert McCarthy on behalf of the Royal British Legion.

It brought people together in remembrance, reflecting on the sacrifices made by soldiers from all nations.

Worcestershire Polish Association chairman, Tom Wisniewski, said: "We are reminded that our freedoms should never be taken for granted, and with them comes the responsibility to ensure that future generations carry the torch of freedom with pride.

"Freedom is the last, best hope of the earth.

"May it forever ring, may it forever be celebrated."

The service began with a promise made to the parents of a German prisoner of war, who requested that flowers be laid on his son’s grave.

Since 1962, the Royal British Legion has honoured that promise every year.