Cadets chosen for Festival of Remembrance

A group of cadets from Northumberland have been selected to represent the national organisation in Remembrance Day services in London.

The Northumbria Army Cadet Force (AFC) took part in the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall and marched in the Remembrance Day parade.

The festival commemorated the men and women who fought in World War Two and those who took part in the D-Day landings and the Normandy campaign.

Cadet Sgt Emma Brash said: "It's a really big event and I want to show how proud I am of all those who served and all the work the ACF does."

She had been preparing for the event for several months, she added.

Several of the cadets, from Cramlington, attended the Royal Albert Hall, where they showed guests to their seats and sold poppies.

The 20 teenagers took part in the Remembrance Sunday parade which marched past the King to the Cenotaph.

The King and Queen were joined by members of the royal family at the Royal British Legion's annual festival.

This year's commemorated those who fought 80 years ago in 1944, including on D-Day and in the Normandy campaign, in Italy at Monte Cassino and Kohima, and Imphal in East Asia.

A number of veterans of these campaigns attended the event.

Cadet Cpl Taylor Knight told BBC Look North: "It's an honour to be there to represent my friends and the people around me in the cadets but also people like my dad in the army."

Cpl Knight's father served in Bosnia and South Sudan during his military career.

"I would love to follow in my father's footsteps," she said.

Cadet Cpl Drew Bryson said military service "runs deeply" through his family.

"I'm looking to join the forces as well so it does mean a lot to me," he said.

"It's quite an emotional time of the year and a good time to remember those who have died before us."

Lt Andrew Elliot said Northumbria ACF last took part in the event in 2016.

"It's unlikely it will be any time soon again, so it is a really great privilege for those taking part," he said.

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