Soldiers from the Wiltshire based Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) took part in a special celebration on Saturday, September 17.

In a ceremony at Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset, troops and civilians alike remembered those lost in the First-World War, but more specifically the arrival of the tank into world history.

At 5.30 am, on the September 15 1916, the British Army sent tanks into action for the first time at the Battle of Flers-Coucelette, part of the wider Battle of the Somme.

Throughout Saturday, military vehicles past and present, including the army's main battle tank, the Challenger 2 took part in displays, with actors dressed up in WW1 uniform giving the impression that time had stood still.

RTR officer commanding AJAX squadron Major Rob Moseley said: "It is most appropriate that we mark this occasion here at the museum for the Royal Tank Regiment.

"We are so very proud to be involved in the commemoration of 100 years of the tank and to remember our forebears who served in them."

The original tank went from concept to combat in under two years, with the spirit and dedication to innovation remaining at the forefront of the military to this day.

The Challenger 2 will itself undergo a life extension programme with the aim of maximising its longevity.