PIPERS, uniformed organisations and community groups led a solemn procession to Gourock’s war memorial as the town joined communities around Inverclyde and across the UK and the Commonwealth in marking Remembrance Sunday.

(Image: Duncan Bryceland) (Image: Duncan Bryceland) (Image: Duncan Bryceland) Church services at Old Gourock and Ashton and at St John’s Church were followed by a parade from the former through the town centre to the memorial next to the outdoor swimming pool, where wreaths were laid in memory of the Gourockians who laid down their lives on active service.

(Image: Duncan Bryceland) (Image: Duncan Bryceland) (Image: Duncan Bryceland) The Gourock memorial, along with those in Port Glasgow and Greenock, was re-dedicated on Sunday in the hope that locals will take heed of the ‘lest we forget’ message and continue to pay tribute for generations to come, even as the two great wars of the 20th century fade further into history.

(Image: Duncan Bryceland) (Image: Duncan Bryceland) (Image: Duncan Bryceland) The memorial contains the names of 98 men and one civilian from the First World War, and 74 military personnel and another 24 civilians from the 1939-45 conflict, while the names of famous and infamous battles such as Flanders, Mesopotamia and Gallipoli are carved into the granite column.