Three First World War veterans have been honoured in France when they returned to recall the battles of Ypres Salient.

The three, all more than 100 years old, were special guests at the 75th anniversary of the Menin Gate Memorial.

It was erected in honour of the thousands of soldiers who died and its walls carry the names of 54,896 of the missing.

Almost 35,000 more of those who disappeared during the battles are in a neighbouring cemetery in Passchendaele.

The memorial straddles the main road out of Ypres along which tens of thousands marched to the front line, many of them never to return.

The Duke of Kent, president of the Commonwealth Graves Commission, spoke at the memorial service of their sacrifice and of the need for future generations to remember.

Then the oldest of the three veterans present, Jack Davis, 107, read the exhortation: "They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old..."

The one-hour ceremony culminated in the release of thousands of poppy petals from the memorial roof.

Story filed: 13:18 Wednesday 24th July 2002 (Ananova)