THE notes of the Last Post echoed through the streets of Chippenham on Sunday as five young scouts, brownies and guides raised their bugles in memory of all those who lost their lives on the battlefield.

A brownie, a guide, two cub scouts, one sea scout and a schoolboy, aged between eight and 12-years-old helped mark the poignant two minute silence with the call in front of thousands of people following the parade which was led by servicemen and women, local organisation, mayor Councillor Mary Norton and the deputy lieutenant of Wiltshire.

Chippenham Air Scout leader Christopher Jones said: “They were remarkably calm on the day but it was really impressive. A lot of the children thought it was a fabulous experience and they never thought they would be asked to take part.

“We had parents and grandparents saying how proud they were of the children and how they thought it was amazing to be asked to sound the Last Post.

“I’m not really aware of anywhere else that does this and it certainly breaks a lot of traditions and taboos. When uniformed people and older people see the children making this commitment, it raises the profile of young people in the town and encourages them to be taken more seriously.”

In the evening, the scouts also remembered Lieutenant William Granger of the Wiltshire Regiment who died of wounds received in the Battle of Menin Road Ridges on September 20, 1917.