Fallen TA troops are remembered

Territorial Army soldiers who have been killed in action have been remembered at a special memorial service.

The service, at the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas, Staffordshire, is part of events to mark the centenary of the reserve military force.

The Duke of Kent said of the fallen soldiers: "We value them greatly and the Territorial Army hails them all by dedicating itself to their memory."

A parade featuring TA troops and a flypast were also part of the event.

Baroness Taylor delivered a message from Prime Minister Gordon Brown which thanked the TA and said it was playing a "crucial role" in the country's defence.

The Duke of Kent told those gathered: "In this 100th anniversary of the Territorial Army we have been reminded of the way volunteers step forward from society with the support of their families, employers and friends to serve the nation as a vital part of the British Army."

'Peace and War'

The head of the Army, Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, was also among dignitaries at the memorial service.

The event was hosted by Maj Gen Martin Rutledge, general officer commanding the Army's 5th Division, based in Shrewsbury.

He said it was "very important" to acknowledge the TA's service and the sacrifices it had made.

"Through its 100-year history, the Territorial Army has served our country in peace and war, during national difficulties and natural disasters, in peacekeeping operations and armed conflicts around the world."

The oldest surviving member of the TA, 104-year-old Edwin Cooper, of Abergele, Conwy, was guest of honour at the event.

Mr Cooper was called up on the day World War II broke out in September 1939 and he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps after training.

The TA constitutes a quarter of the British army's manpower, and almost 15,000 have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003.

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