SOLDIERS who fought in Gallipoli during the First World War were remembered 100 years after the depleted troupe retreated from the battle.

Over 1,000 soldiers of the Herefordshire Regiment landed on Suvla Bay in August 1915, over the next four months 800 men were evacuated through wounding or illness and 83 died.

On Saturday to mark the date of their withdrawal comrades Majors Robert Barnes and Peter Friend who both served with the The Herefordshire Light Infantry, planted snowdrops at Suvla Barracks which will flower each winter and mark the soldier's sacrifices.

A short memorial service was conducted by The Reverend Iain Skinner and representatives of the Regimental Museum, the Regimental Association and the Royal British Legion also attended.

Major Burns organised the planting after recently visiting the battlefields on an eight day pilgrimage.

He said: "The weather was a great contrast to that in August when the centenary of the Herefords landing at Suvla Bay was commemorated under a blue sky and warm sunshine.

"This was particularly apt and brought to mind the words of Captain Ashton, the Adjutant of the Battalion who said shortly after the evacuation in 1915: ‘We packed up, not having much to pack, and embarked on a single boat.

'By a strange coincidence we left from identically the same bit of beach as we had landed on just 18 weeks before.

'Now this dark December night, slinking away, under 100 strong, weary, dirty and disillusioned."