Provost Ian McAllan, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire Louis Munn and South Lanarkshire Council Chief Executive Clelland Sneddon joined Rev Ross Blackman of Hamilton Old Parish Church and military veterans at the Victoria Cross Memorial to honour those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Similar acts of commemoration were held across South Lanarkshire as the generations who fought in the past to protect freedoms in their future were remembered.

Provost McAllan said: “Remembering with gratitude and humility the sacrifice made by others in the name of protecting the society we enjoy today not only honours those who made it, but it also helps us to work to ensure that their loss was not in vain, for that is the greatest tribute we can pay to them.

“Some remember family members, friends, and comrades who have given their lives in the service of their country, but all of us are able to understand the stories of these heroes and the legacy they leave.

“These are not stories from the imagination of an author, a film-maker or a video game creator – these are recollections of real events and real people who woke every day knowing that they were running the risk of losing their lives and who, with a special kind of bravery, still stepped forward into the day.

“It is the attitude of selflessness that inspires us. It is the willingness to fight, so that others need not, that humbles us. And it is the bravery to face, in the cause of peace and liberty, whatever is thrown at them that enables us to live the lives that we do.

“We thank all who have served and all who currently do so – those who understand more than we ever can.

“It is from the past, however, that we learn the lessons to let us shape the future. And the sacrifices of those who fell in the past allow us the freedom to act upon those lessons, and give us the chance to build a better world.

“We must never forget those who left us with that legacy, and sacrificed themselves in doing so. We will always remember them.”