A REMEMBRANCE service for two territorial soldiers who died while training in the Brecon Beacons was held in Abergavenny this afternoon.

The service at St Mary's Priory Church followed the town's annual Armed Forces Day march, organised by the Abergavenny branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL) for anyone who has served in the navy, army or air force.

Treasurer of the Abergavenny branch, Tony King, led a group of standard bearers, politicians, ex-servicemen and fire fighters from the castle through the town, where the mayor Sheila Woodhouse, Nick Ramsay AM, David Davies MP and chairman of the Abergavenny branch Ray Hill, were among those congregated.

Former mayor of Abergavenny, Councillor Sam Dodd said: "We have lost so many service men and women over the years and a huge amount of people from the community are serving officers, so this is a very poignant thing for the town and the town embraces this sort of thing.

"It is nice that we are able to do it and remember those that are fallen and those still serving and their families."

More than 60 people attended a service inside St Mary's, led by Reverend Mark Soady and which featured the hymn 'God is our strength and refuge' to the tune of the Dambusters March.

The annual service was adapted to allow people to pay their respects to Lieutenant Corporal Craig Roberts, from Conwy, and a second unnamed soldier who died as temperatures reached 30 degrees on a 40-mile hike through the Beacons last weekend, July 13.

A third reservist was taken to hospital in a serious condition after a total of six soldiers collapsed on Pen y Fan.

Former army signaler and member of the Brecon Beacons Mountain Rescue Team, Katie Garnett, carried a roll of honour to the nave altar of the church while the congregation sang 'Bread of Heaven'.

Reverend Soady, who worked as a territorial chaplain for 14 years in the area, made the decision to change the annual service.

"We see the soldiers on the buses going and coming back from training so they do feel like our own," he said.

"Today was about creating a space where people can channel their thoughts, they have wanted that opportunity. Regular soldiers tend to live in large garrison towns with their families, but for reservists their families don't always have that level of support."