Pictures: Bognor Regis pays tribute to veterans during sun-soaked armed forces day

Taking place on the promenade and Waterloo Square from 10am to 4pm, the event featured a range of activities and attractions for members of the public. Alongside stalls for a range of armed forces-centric charities and displays of military equipment, there was live music, marches, a kit car demonstration by the army cadets and a short service for the re-dedication of St Barbara.

Long-serving members of the armed forces community were presented with their veterans badges in a special ceremony, also attended by members of the air, sea and army cadets in a passing of the torch which, organisers said, represents remembrance of the past and optimism for the future.

It certainly seemed that way for cadet Elliot Trist, who has served with the Air Training Force (ATC) for eight months. After last year’s Remembrance Day parade, this was the second major event in which he’d taken part, and he said doing so gave him a unique sense of pride: “It makes you feel really proud to be a part of such a nice squadron, and when you see everyone’s uniform and drill and discipline come together, it’s really special. We work so hard, so it’s an amazing feeling.

"It's nice to see so many people come together; people from the air cadets, the army cadets and the sea cadets to pay their respects to former service members."

Armed Forces Day takes place in communities all over the UK every year in order to give members of the public a chance to interact with and show their support for members of the military. To find out more, visit armedforcesday.org.uk

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