ROMSEY Abbey saw the funeral of a Hampshire man who fought in the Korean War which ended 70 years ago this year.

Les Allen, 93, from Totton, was at the Battle of Imjin River in 1951 as a member of the Gloucestershire Regiment, whose bravery against overwhelming numbers of Chinese troops earned them the nickname 'Glorious Gloucesters'.

The eulogy was given by Brigadier Martin Vine, the last commanding officer of the 1st Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment until 1994 when it merged with the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment to form the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment.

Brig Vine told the service last Thursday: "I am honoured today to describe Les as a young soldier, whose remarkable experiences could have come straight out of the poem If, which we have just heard read so beautifully."

Les born in 1930 had volunteered for the Royal Hampshire Regiment in 1947 and saw service in Austria and Hong Kong before volunteering for action in Korea.

Shortly afterwards he fought at the Battle of Imjin River and was captured. He was in a prisoner of war camp for two years and was strafed by American fighter jets on several occasions.

Released in 1953 Les returned to Hampshire, married and settled down.

Brig Vine said: "A few weeks before he died, he told me he felt blessed to be 'surrounded by so many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren that he couldn't count them all'".

Representatives of the South Korean Embassy attended the service.

Mr Allen was a regular attender at the Wessex branch of the British Korean Veterans Association.

Brig Vine said there are thought to be just eight known survivors from the Glorious Gloucester epic.