THE cities of Worcester, England and Vernon in France were joined together in a simple ceremony of remembrance as each paid tribute to the bravery of the soldiers of the 1st Bn Worcestershire Regiment during the Second World War.

The action had taken place on August 26, 1944 when the 1st Bn were the first Allied troops to force a crossing of the River Seine as they advanced across France following the D-Day landings.

The infantrymen should have been supported by tanks, but they were delayed and so the Worcestershire pushed on alone, crossing the river at Vernon and climbing a steep gorge beyond under murderous enemy fire. Having secured the crossing, a bridge was then built for the tanks to roll across and make their way on towards Brussels.

The heroics of the 1st Btn have never been forgotten by the residents of the French city, who each year on the day lay a wreath and hold a service in a layby near the crossing site where the Worcestershire's regimental aid post was set up during the battle. The graves of the fallen are also dressed with poppies and flowers.

In Worcester a short service was held at the Worcestershire Regiment memorial stone in Gheluvelt Park, the highlight of which was the laying of a wreath at the stone by Eric Tipping, a member of the 1st Bn who fought at Vernon.

About 30 former soldiers attended the event and five regimental standards were on parade. The service was organised by the local branch of the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regimental Association in partnership with Worcester City Council and conducted by the Rev Nick Daw, county chaplain of the Royal British Legion.

Along with the action at Vernon, it also commemorated the men of the regiment's 7th Bn, a territorial battalion, who fought and died at Kohima, Burma in 1944, their bravery halting the Japanese advance into India. And also the 21 soldiers of the 1st Bn who didn't return from their tour of duty during the Malay Emergency of 1950-1953.

Maurice Smith, secretary of the Worcester branch of the Regimental Association, said: "I counted about 30 members on parade, there were five standards, one of which came all the way down from Dudley, the sun shone and the weather was beautiful. It was a marvellous occasion."