VETERANS, school children and dignitaries marked the 100-year anniversary of the Gallipoli landings that took place during the First World War.

Forty standards lined the parade as it made its way to Leighterton cemetery to lay wreaths for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps(ANZAC) soldiers on 26 April, 2015.

The Royal British Legion, Mayor of Gloucester, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Lord Vestey, representatives from Australia and New Zealand’s High Commissions and children from Leighterton Primary School all gathered to mark the occasion.

Representing the military were members of the British, New Zealand and Australian armed forces and air cadets from 614 Lydney Squadron. 

Wreaths were laid by Lord Vestey, the Mayor of Gloucester, British military, Australian Defence Force; New Zealand Defence Force; Royal British Legion and the Western Front Association.

The Roll Call was read by pupils of Leighterton Primary School who also read out two of the letters that they had written to the fallen airmen.

To ANZACs rosemary is associated with remembrance and commemoration, and to mark this the primary school children placed sprigs of rosemary on each headstone.

In ancient times rosemary was thought to strengthen memory.

The children also made a poppy out of pebbles, one pebble for each soldier.

After the service the parade marched back past the dignitaries and Lord Vestey took the salute.

Refreshments were then taken in the school hall and the pupils sang a commemorative song to the fallen.

Nailsworth Silver Band provided music.

Twenty-four members of the Australian Flying Corps are buried in Leighterton, all except one died in 1918-1919 during flight training.

The Gallipoli landings have been commemorated in Leighterton since 1931 except for the years 1940-45.

More than 44,000 allied troops, many of them from Australia and New Zealand, died during the disastrous landings at Gallipoli that began on April 25, 1915, and lasted until January, 2016.

The Gallipoli peninsula forms the northern bank of the Dardanelles, a strait that allows access to Istanbul.

Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, suggested capturing the Gallipoli would lead to the capture of the city and the withdrawal of the Ottoman Empire from the war.

After eight months' fighting and heavy casualties on both sides the land campaign was abandoned and the invasion force was withdrawn to Egypt.

In the First World War, Australia was the only British Dominion to raise, equip and deploy its own flying corps.

The Australian Flying Corps (AFC) had four training squadrons based in Gloucestershire: Numbers 5 and 6 Training Squadrons AFC at Minchinhampton and Numbers 7 and 8 Training Squadrons AFC at Leighterton. 

The squadrons had their headquarters in Tetbury.