Residents of Broughton House Veteran Care Village, relatives and staff joined senior regional Armed Forces personnel for a moving Remembrance Day service.
Veterans donned their Broughton House blazers for the ceremony, held in the grounds of the redeveloped care home in Salford.
Broughton House has cared for more than 8,000 veterans since it opened its doors to the ex-service community in 1916.
It has recently been transformed into a modern complex featuring a 64-bed care home, independent living apartments, an array of modern facilities, a museum and Armed Forces Support Hub.
Commodore Phil Waterhouse, the Naval Regional Commander Northern England and a trustee of Broughton House, spoke about the significance of the occasion as he welcomed those attending.
He said:
“The 11th of November is always very poignant for those who have served and their families, when we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice over the last 100 years or so.”
Lieutenant Commander Ellen Shephard, Assistant Naval Regional Commander Northern England, read ‘In Flanders Fields’, a poem written during the First World War by Lt Col John McCrae.
Wing Commander Stephen Chaskin, Officer Commanding 611 Squadron RAux AF, and Major David Braddock, second in command of 103 Regiment Royal Artillery, also gave readings.
Following the Last Post, a two-minute silence and the Reveille, the quartet and Broughton House resident Jean Mack laid wreaths.
Peter Darroch, 85, a former Lt Col who served in the Royal Army Medical Corps for nearly 40 years, read a special prayer for Broughton House residents.
D-Day veteran David Teacher, 98, a fellow resident who served in the RAF, read the Lord’s Prayer.
David said:
“It’s very important we remember those who gave their lives to ensure our freedoms today, but not just on 11 November but throughout the year.”
The ceremony was followed by drinks and refreshments, including specially-made poppy cupcakes.
