Four centenarians have helped to mark the 90th anniversary of Britain’s declaration of war on Germany in 1914.

A commemoration at the Cenotaph in Whitehall was also attended by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, the Minister for Veterans, Ivor Caplin, and senior military officers.

A bugler from the Royal Artillery Band had sounded the Last Post and Reveille for a minute’s silence, then former CPO Bill Stone, aged 103, who travelled in from the Home Counties, laid a wreath at the foot of the Cenotaph.

Bill was followed by three old warriors in wheelchairs – 108-year-old RN Air Mechanic Henry Allingham, from East Sussex, Pte Fred Lloyd (106) of the Royal Artillery, also from East Sussex, and Pte John Osborne (103) of the Devonshire Regiment, who now lives in South Wales.

Mr Stone led the service, then Mr Allingham, believed to be the oldest surviving combatant, and Mr Osborne read the Lord’s Prayer. Mr Stone also read the 1915 poem In Flanders Field by John McCrae.

All the veterans were accompanied by serving personnel from ships or regiments which were linked to their service almost a century ago. There are believed to be only 23 surviving veterans in the country.

The Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Sir Anthony Bagnall, laid a wreath on behalf of the Queen, while Mr Prescott and Mr Caplin placed wreaths on behalf of the Government and the Ministry of Defence respectively.

Other countries represented by High Commissioners and Defence Attaches included Canada, Australia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa and India.

The ceremony marked the day Britain declared war on Germany – August 4, 1914 – the day after Germany declared war on France.

Around 900,000 soldiers from the UK and the Empire died in the so-called Great War, with another two million being wounded. During the four years of conflict, almost nine million British soldiers were mobilised.