A war veteran who has been a member of the Royal British Legion for 56 years has been awarded the organisation's Gold Medal for long and meritorious service.

Sid Moody, 79, of The High Road, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, received the honour from the chairman of the Legion's Berkshire branch, Roy Slatter, at a social evening at Brightwell Village Hall.

Sid MoodyMr Moody served with the Eight Army in Italy before being wounded in action near Bologna and invalided out at the end of the Second World War.

He joined the Royal British Legion in 1946, and has been chairman of its Brightwell and North Moreton branch since 1998.

Col Gilbert Talbot, president of the Brightwell branch, said the award was richly deserved.

He said: "Sid has done a great deal to raise funds for the Royal British Legion over the years. He was a member of a concert party stage group, The Merrymakers, and was drummer for a band called The Legionaires in the 1940s and 1950s."

Mr Moody, a retired cabinet-maker, has also played the Last Post bugle for Remembrance Sunday at venues in the Wallingford area every year since 1946.

He said he was "absolutely amazed, but honoured" to have been presented with the gold medal.