BURY will salute the heroes of Gallipoli on Sunday when a 1,600-strong parade and march commemorates the centenary of the campaign.

Serving soldiers, reservists, veterans, cadets and relatives of men who fought in the battle will be among those taking part in the event - a fitting and poignant tribute to those who were killed or injured following the Gallipoli landings on April 25, 1915.

Inparticular, the role played by the Lancashire Fusiliers, who famously earned "six VCs before breakfast", will be remembered. People from all over the UK and as far away as Canada will take part in the parade and march.

Beforehand, a commemorative invitation-only service will take place at Bury Parish Church, beginning at 11.30pm. After the service, scheduled to finish at 12.45pm, wreaths will be laid at the nearby war memorial, and the march will set off from Bolton Street around 1.10pm.

Colonel Mike Glover, Regimental Secretary (Lancashire) of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, said: "This will be one huge parade which will actually be split into four separate parts or elements.

"The first will involve the regular army and army reserve.We will have 150 members of the 1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers coming up from Tidworth to take part in the parade and also to exercise their freedom of Bury by marching."

The second parade will feature veterans who will be led by former crew members of the HMS Euryalus, the name of the cruiser which transported the Lancashire Fusiliers to the shores of Gallipoli. Five subsequent ships bore the same name. In 1981, after returning to South Shields, the sixth and last HMS Euryalus was awarded the freedom of the borough before being decommissioned eight years later. Apart from former sailors, Bury is set to welcome the mayor of South Tyneside and two Admirals.

A combination of other veteran groups and regimental families will make up the third parade. This section will also include living history groups, family members of those who won Victoria Crosses at Gallipoli, and relatives of solders who have recently died in service of their country.

Air Force, Army and Sea cadets will feature in the fourth parade. Each of the parade elements will have its own band or corps of drums. These include the pipes and drums of the Lorne Scots Regiment which has travelled from Canada.

The Bury detachment of the Army Cadet Force has also been hard at work in preparation for their participation in the parade.

It will go down Market Street, into Haymarket Street, turn right into Angouleme Way before proceeding into Manchester Road and Silver Street, passing the Fusilier Museum, and coming to a halt in Bolton Street.

Col Glover continued: "I estimate there will be 1,600 plus on the parade. It's frightening and exciting. We only get one chance and we want to get it right. This is a commemoration to the people who died and who were injured and to the many families in the North West who suffered.

"It's also a celebration of how those out there overcame the difficulties they found. Under these considerable circumstances, it's quite remarkable how they came through it."