Pictures: Leighton Buzzard marks 15th anniversary of the end of the Iraq War

Commemorative events, held at the Memorial Gardens, Linslade, and Church Square in Leighton Buzzard, were led by the Royal British Legion Leighton Buzzard branch.

They were attended by Professor Gurch Randhawa, Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Leighton-Linslade Mayor Cllr Kevin Pughe, and chairs of the local RBL Branch, Club and Band.

Branch Chair Major (Retd) Mike Lovell, who organised the commemorations, reflected on the scale of Operation TELIC, which involved more than 140,000 British Armed Forces personnel. He paid tribute to the 179 British service personnel and Ministry of Defence civilians who lost their lives, as well as those left with lasting physical and mental scars.

The acts of remembrance included prayers, wreath laying, the Last Post, a two-minute silence, and contributions from local students and cadets. A particularly poignant contribution came from Cpl Finn Evans, a young Army Cadet, who read The Exhortation and Kohima Epitaph with clarity, confidence and the sentiment required for such important words.

Major Lovell said: “I had the privilege of serving during Op TELIC 4 in 2004, as a Corporal and Section Commander with an Armoured Engineer Regiment in Basra City.

“It remains the most kinetic operational tour I experienced during my military service. I remain deeply grateful that I came home safely, but I also remember the 179 British service personnel who did not, and the many others whose lives were changed forever.”