A MALVERN war veteran took part in a ceremony this week to mark the 50th anniversary of the armistice which ended the Korean War.

John Shepherd, of Grafton Close, was one of 100,000 British service personnel who were involved in the fighting between Communist-backed North Korea and South Korea, supported by the United Nations.

On Wednesday, he took part in a march-past, parade and service in Westminster Abbey.

The event was attended by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.

Mr Shepherd joined the Royal Engineers in January 1949 at Merebrook Camp, Hanley Swan.

Later, he was transferred to a dog troop, and for six months trained with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps in Melton Mowbray.

"We were mixed with the 1st Commonwelth Infantry Division, I came back to Malvern for a short while and we were then posted to the Far East. We did battle training in Japan, and were then posted to Korea," he said.

The Korean War started in 1950 when Communist North Korea, backed by Russia, invaded South Korea.

The United Nations sent in a force of soldiers from 22 nations, which included Britain and the Commonwealth.

"It was the only time the Commonwealth fought together as one unit," said Mr Shepherd.

The war ended in 1953 with the signing of the armistice, which determined the current-day borders between the two countries, which are still officially at war.