Flowers laid at graves in Arnhem

A young girl stands by a row of graves with her flowers

Prince Charles and more than 1,000 children have joined Arnhem veterans in the Netherlands honouring their comrades who died in World War II.

They attended a ceremony at Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery, where 1,754 allied troops are buried, on Sunday.

Local children laid flowers at each of the graves and whispered the names of those who died 60 years ago.

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and the prince laid wreaths as veterans, some too frail to stand, looked on.

Before laying their flowers, the children - all from local schools - had raised their bouquets towards the surviving veterans.

Afterwards, the Last Post sounded, followed by a minute's silence.

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The two-hour ceremony - attended by about 15,000 people - concluded with the words of Laurence Binyon, read by the Reverend Bob Boyce who was himself a glider pilot at Arnhem.

He told the hushed congregation: "They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old.

"Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them."

Prince Charles left the cemetery, talking to a number of veterans as he did so, as a Dakota and Hercules aircraft flew overhead.

Among those who spoke to the prince was Terry Grant, 79, from Crosby, near Liverpool, who said: "He said we were very welcome and asked if we enjoyed being here.

"I said it is better here now than it was the first time."

Prince Charles during the ceremony

Signalman Desmond Wiggins, 80, from Bexhill, East Sussex, was among the veterans at the ceremony.

He wept as he remembered those who were killed, and said: "It is just so overwhelming.

"I feel I have to come here to remember my friends who are lying all around me here today."

Private Cecil Godden, 80, from Seaford, East Sussex, had returned to Arnhem for the first time since the war.

He said: "I felt that I had to come back this year, not only to see the place again and to remember those who died, but also to meet the Dutch people.

"It is very hard to be here again after so long. To see all the names on the graves, all the lads who were so young, is deeply emotional."

It was very moving, I shed a few tears Bill Fulton

The British-led and ultimately failed effort to push through enemy lines was immortalised in A Bridge Too Far.

Bill Fulton, a former sergeant with 2 Para Battalion, was the first British soldier to set foot on Arnhem Bridge.

The 85-year-old, from Birkenhead, Merseyside, said after the service: "It was very moving, I shed a few tears.

"It has bought back quite a lot of memories being here today. I put a cross on one of the graves here the other day of a friend who was in my section."

Jim Knight, who also served with 2 Para, paid his respects at the graves of twin 21-year-old brothers Thomas and Claude Gronert.

Mr Knight, 80, from Poole, Dorset, said: "The twins were from my platoon. I knew them well.

"They were pals of mine and were killed within a couple of minutes of each other."

'Amazing'

Among the children from England who attended the ceremony was Harry Orpen-Smellie, 11, from Orwell Park School in Ipswich.

He is the son of Lieutenant Colonel Giles Orpen-Smellie, commanding officer of the 4th Voluntary Battalion Parachute Regiment.

Harry said: "It was very moving. It was amazing to see all the veterans."

All the veterans were among the 16,500 paratroops and 3,500 troops in gliders who were dropped into Arnhem for the operation in 1944.

Field Marshal Montgomery's ill-fated Market Garden campaign was conceived to try to shorten the war by taking control of eight bridges along the German-Dutch border.

British paratroops were deliberately dropped eight miles from the bridges, but it was impossible for them to reach their target before the Germans were tipped off.

Nearly 6,000 from the 1st Airborne Division were captured after Arnhem and 1,174 killed. Almost 1,900 men escaped.