THOUSANDS of people turned out under blue skies and sunshine to honour the fallen and mark the centenary of the end of the First World War.

Regent Street fell silent as the Town Hall clock struck 11. Wreaths were laid by families and veterans to the sound of the Swindon Pegasus Brass Band, followed by a prayer by the Bishop of Swindon.

Isobel Thompson, advice and information officer at the Royal British Legion shop on Regent Street, said: “It was a fantastic day, it felt really special and I think moving for a lot of people. It took ages to lay the wreaths because there were so many people wanting to lay them.

“During the two-minute silence you could just sort of hear the wind sighing in the trees, it was impeccably observed and all the cadet bands did brilliantly. It just blows me away the amount of support that Swindon shows for its armed forces community.”

The centenary also fell on Remembrance Sunday, which commemorates the fallen in all wars since 1918.

Peter Smith, 82, who served on nuclear test sites on Christmas Island in 1957, said: “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

“You look around at the faces of the people there, and it doesn’t matter what uniform you’re in. You’re all veterans and you’re all the same, and it’s very moving.”

There is currently a petition to award nuclear test veterans with a medal for their service.

“I haven’t suffered any ill effects,” said Peter, who was only 30 miles away from nuclear bomb tests, “I’m one of the lucky ones.”

Parades were bolstered by scouts, guides and cadets. In Highworth, Imogen George took the place of her father, RAF veteran Steve Speakman,who was killed in a motorbike crash on the A419 last week.

The High Street in Royal Wootton Bassett was lined with families watching wreaths being placed on the town’s war memorial.

Eric Wilson, 89, who served in Korea in 1950, was there to remember his comrades. He said: “You had to be there to know all about it. You tell people and they’ll look at you in amazement. It’s so bad people don’t believe you. But all the veterans they’ve all been there and lived through that.

“You think of all those you went with who didn’t come back, you lose your friends, but there’s nothing you can do about that.”

Bob Edgington, 81, said: “It’s a bigger turnout than everybody expected. It can’t be forgotten, that level of sacrifice, just to keep us all safe.”

A veteran standard bearer from the Royal British Legion collapsed during the ceremony to gasps from the crowd. He managed to recover while a member of the public held the flag. “He’s alright, said Bob, “I think he was more embarrassed than anything.”

Chris Wannell added: “I’m so proud that so many people of the town turned out, especially the young people. They have the future in their hands and my feeling is the moment we forget the Great War, that’s the moment another becomes imminent.”

A service was held at Radnor Street Cemetery in Old Town with relatives of soldiers buried there.

Linda Carswell came up from Dorset for the day to commemorate her grandfather Frederic Graham Lovelock, who died two years after the war finished, from injuries caused by a gas attack.

“It was a lovely service, very moving, and it was good to see all ages here,” said Linda, who was wearing her grandfather’s medals, including the Victory Medal, given to all those who served between 1914 and 1918.

Historian Mark Sutton, who has researched the 104 graves in the cemetery recognised by the War Graves Commission, said: “It’s particularly important because he died after the war, so it just really made it, meeting the relatives of those buried here and seeing the medals on show.”

South Swindon MP Robert Buckland, who was there, said: “I have been coming to the Radnor Street service for many years and I have never seen such a large crowd. The cenotaph service this morning was extremely well attended and was a poignant commemoration of an historic anniversary for our town and nation.”