HUNDREDS of schoolchildren have made an annual Remembrance parade more special than ever.

Every year schoolchildren watch the Manningtree and District Remembrance Day parade from the sidelines.

But to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War, the Manningtree primary schools were asked to take part in the parade, which attracted about 1,000 people.

It started from the war memorial in the High Street, with everyone coming together beforehand in Brook Street.

Jamie Robinson, branch chairman of the Manningtree and District Royal British Legion, said it was an extra special service.

He said: “The schoolchildren were marching through and leading the parade, singing It’s a Long Way to Tipperary. We also had the air cadets and Army training corps who read out the roll of honour and carried the branch union flag, and there were military vehicles.

“The mayor, Ruth Stocks, was there to do a reading, as was Kerry King, who is the Harwich branch president.”

Mr Robinson, who has been in post for five years as branch chairman and co-founder, said there was a huge amount of work done from behind the scenes as well.

He added: “With it being the 100th centenary of Armistice we felt we had to so something slightly different with the school kids.

“It was the biggest parade Manningtree has seen since the end of the war.”