HUNDREDS of people lined the streets as The Royal Welsh Comrades Association, City of Newport branch led a parade and service to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

The parade took place yesterday, leaving Cambrian Road at 12.45pm and onto High Street to the D-Day memorial.

The Last Post sounded and silence fell across the town as people stood to remember those who served in The Normandy landings on June 6 in 1944 during The Second World War.

The service of remembrance was followed by the laying of wreaths at the front of the memorial.

The Mayor of Newport, Councillor Matthew Evans, was amongst those who lay a wreath.

Over 130,000 Allied soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy in the biggest sea-borne invasion in military history.

The march in the city centre aimed to give both local people and military veterans the opportunity to commemorate this historic event.

Proudly wearing his medals was George Babbington, 90, from Maindee, who served with the The South Wales Borderers, 49th infantry during the D-Day landings.

He attended the march with his daughter, Andrea.

She said: “I think it’s important that those who served are remembered for what they did.

“You see the scenes on the TV and it’s hard to imagine that it actually happening- they are all heroes.”

Mr Babbington’s grandson, Darren, age 13, added: “I am proud of what all of the veterans did and they deserve respect for being so brave.”

Returning from a trip to Normandy to mark 70 years since the D-Day landings was Newport’s Frank James, 95, who attended the march to pay his respects to his fallen comrades.

Mr James, a trooper in the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards, landed on Gold Beach in 1944, age 25.

His job was to keep the tanks in ammunition.

He said: “It was a sight to see so many people at sea but it’s something that I would never want to see again.

“It has been emotional today.”

South Wales Borderer , Gareth Pugh, 66, from Newport said he was pleased to see so many people turn out to watch the march.

He added: “It’s very emotional and it makes you imagine what these men had to go through.

“It’s important that the younger generations are told of what happened so that they can continue to remember what these men did after they are gone.”