About 30 people attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the War Memorial in Kingsbridge today, to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Falklands War.

In fine weather, Vice Admiral Sir Jonathan Tod KCB CBE escorted Leon Lock, branch chairman of the Kingsbridge Royal British Legion, to lay the wreath at the memorial.

Also in attendance were branch committee members, representatives of Falklands veterans, Kingsbridge mayor, Cllr Chris Povey, town clerk Martin Johnson and county and district councillor Rufus Gilbert.

Following the Last Post, two minutes silence and “God Save the Queen”, the President of the Kingsbridge Royal British Legion, Mr Ken Court read the exhortation.

Mr Lock, branch chairman said: “From my point of view, it was so pleasing to see so many people attending the ceremony.

“We’d like to thank everybody who attended."

The Kingsbridge branch of the Royal British Legion have confirmed there will be three further commemorative dates this year, with more details to follow.

Vice Admiral Sir Jonathan saw action in the Falklands War, and was awarded a CBE for his service. He later commanded the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious.

The Falklands started 35 years ago on April 2, 1982, and lasted until June 14, 1982. The ten-week war between Argentina and the United Kingdom was concerning two British overseas territories in the South Atlantic - the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

It began on Friday, April 2, when Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands, and, the next day, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, in an attempt to establish the sovereignty it had claimed over them.

On April 5, the British government dispatched a naval task force to engage the Argentine Navy and Air Force, before making an amphibious assault on the islands. The conflict lasted 74 days and ended with the Argentine surrender on June 14, returning the islands to British control.

Nearly 1,000 people were killed, with 255 British and 649 Argentinian casualties. 775 British and 1,657 Argentinians were wounded and the British took 11,313 prisoners of war, while the Argentinians took 115. Three civilians were killed by British shelling.