A 76-year-old man who served during the second world war has just one message for the young people of today: 'Do not forget us'.

Menheniot resident Bill Aitken, who served as part of the engineering group that looked after bomber command during the war, believes that these days November 11 is not given the respect that it deserves.

'Too much information that the young have about the war comes from documentaries on TV or from feature films' he said.

'There is not enough understood from the youth of today of what actually happened in the war.'

Mr Aitken, started his service in the engineering group in 1943 when he had reached the right age. 'Before I was in the services I was in London during the blitz as a fire watcher. Before that my father was involved with the Canadian regiment when he moved from Scotland to Canada, but again this was not his first time in the army as he was one of the few who managed to serve from world war one through to the second world war.'

After the serving with bomber command Mr Aitken served in the British Airforce of Occupied Countries before becoming a part of the Ceremonial corps, of which he has vivid memories. 'We took part in a lot of different activities during that time including the Lord Mayor's parade and the Cenotaph, as well as the victory parade in 1947.

'The Cenotaph in 1945 was something really special' he said.

'When we were led up to it, I was only just a couple of feet from the King.

'It was bitterly cold that day but to see the King and to wear his crown on my uniform and to be so close to him was an honour and something that I will never forget'.

After the war Bill briefly went back into Europe, serving in Hanover, and then returned to this country to work as a salesman, writing articles for his local newspaper and starting a family with his late wife Daphne.

He has, however never turned his back on his war days and only has happy memories.

'It is something that I will never forget or regret because I enjoyed every day of it.

'It was an exciting time, but also one that is filled with a lot of hard memories that stay on with you.

'It is hard for people today to think what it was like then, but I feel that it must be remembered.'

'We are an ever growing minority, and every year there are a few less of us and even fewer who served in world war one.

'But it is important to remember that the country has freedom, because of what those men did.'