Last WW1 survivors at Armistice Day memorial

Three of the last surviving members of British forces who served in World War I laid wreaths in memory of their fallen colleagues in London yesterday to mark the 90th anniversary of Armistice Day.

The three men, all born during the reign of Queen Victoria, joined other service personnel at the Cenotaph in Whitehall to record the day peace returned in 1918 after four years of war that left 10 million dead on all sides.

Henry Allingham, 112, Harry Patch, 110, and Bill Stone, 108, represented the armed services to which they belonged.

Mr Allingham was present for the Royal Air Force, Mr Patch for the Army and Mr Stone for the Royal Navy.

The three, all in wheelchairs, carried wreaths which were laid at the foot of the white stone memorial before a two minute silence at 11 a.m.

On Monday Mr Allingham attended an exhibition of specially commissioned photos of the three veterans at the Tate Gallery in London.

Mr Patch is Britain's last veteran of the trenches and fought in the Battle of Passchendaele, which he later described as "mud, mud and more mud, mixed with blood".

Mr Stone signed up as a Navy stoker in 1918 and stayed in the service until the end of World War II. He took part in the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940.

Among other events being held around the world for Armistice Day, Prince Charles laid a wreath in France.

The London service was led by the Bishop to the Armed Forces, the Right Reverend David Conner.

The three veterans met Prime Minister Gordon Brown at a Downing Street reception afterwards.