It marked the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War in which about three million children fled cities and towns in an effort to protect them from German bomb attacks.

Some people brought wartime toys to the reunion

The service was the first official reunion of the evacuees, many of whom have not seen each other since they returned home at the end of the war.

Tens of thousands of the evacuees had a marvellous time, but many were ill treated by their hosts and some even died during their exile.

The memorial event was organised by the newly formed Evacuees' Reunion Association.

The BBC's Mike Donkin spoke to evacuees about their experiences

The former evacuees marched from Horse Guards Parade to the memorial service, which was attended by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

During the service a book of remembrance, containing the known names of all those who died as evacuees, was placed on the high altar.

Three million children were evacuated - half of them in the first three days of the war

The book included the names of 77 children who drowned when the City of Benares, the ship carrying them from Liverpool to Canada, was torpedoed.

The RAF also paid tribute to the evacuees with a fly-past following the service.

There was also a special presentation at the Imperial War Museum in London of poems written by men and women serving in the armed forces at the time of the outbreak of the war and the evacuation.