TOWNS and villages across the Test Valley and New Forest will pay tribute to the fallen on Sunday.

Church services will be held in nearly every parish and poppy wreaths will be laid at war memorials including Romsey, Awbridge, Braishfield, Copythorne, Lockerley, King’s Somborne and West Wellow.

Huge crowds are expected at Copythorne’s tribute which starts off with a parade from the parish hall in Pollards Moor Road at 9.30am. The procession, which will head for a 10am service at St Mary’s Church, will include 54 young people wearing named poppies. These will bear the names of 34 men from the parish who were killed in the First World War and 18 who lost their lives in the Second World War. About 200 people are expected to form the parade, including Stanley’s Own 2nd New Forest North Scout and Guide Band and Totton Army Cadets and Royal British Legion members.

The service at St Mary’s will be conducted by the Rev John Reeve, who will rededicate the Church’s Memorial Clock.

Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Mrs Sara Locock, Flt Lt Doug Gregory, who recently retired as Britain’s oldest pilot and Fleet Air Arm veteran, Eric Abrams, who was awarded the Arctic Star medal and lives in the village, will be at the service. All will lay poppy wreaths at the war memorial along with representatives from about 26 organisations.

Romsey’s Remembrance Day parade will be make its way through the town at about 10.25am and head for the War Memorial Park where a short service will be held and the traditional two minutes’ silence kept at 11am. Royal British Legion members and former servicemen and women will be joined by town councillors led by the mayor Ian Richards around the memorial. Following the memorial park commemorations the parade will make its way to Romsey Abbey for the Remembrance Day Service.

Once the service is finished, the parade will reform and march to the Market Place, where civic dignitaries will take the salute.

On Monday morning (November 11), the Royal British Legion and service personnel will be taking part in Armistice Day tributes to the fallen at War Memorial Park, starting at 10.55am. Portsmouth Militaria Society will fire a canon at the start and finish of the silence.