London: Five Million war veterans from Indian subcontinent, Africa and the Caribbean, who volunteered to serve with the British Armed Forces during the First and Second World wars, were honoured and remembered at the sixth annual wreath laying ceremony at the Memorial Gates on Constitution Hill.
About 250 people attended the ceremony held on Friday.
A moving service was led by The Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Richard Chartres, Baroness Shreila Flather and Lord Karan Bilimoria, Patron and Chairman of the Memorial Gates Committee respectively.
Speaking first, Baroness Flather paid special tributes to the many people involved in establishing the Memorial Gates. She singled out architect Liam O Connor for particular acclaim.
Lord Bilimoria said, "We are gathered here to remember the sacrifice, courage and contribution of remarkable men and women. In the name of freedom - in the name of our freedom - they made the ultimate and most selfless sacrifice. For that we join today in remembrance and gratitude."
Among the distinguished list of guests in attendance were Tul Bahadur Pun VC, Johnson Bakari VC, Viscount Slim, Secretary General of the Commonwealth Kamalesh Sharma, High Commissioner of India Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, Lord Bhatia, Lord Desai, Baroness Verma and Baroness Uddin.
