A soldier from Caerphilly has spoken of his pride at taking part in the unveiling of a Welsh memorial in Belgium.
Adam Mortimer-Rees, 24, of 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, travelled to Langamark to take part in a parade during the opening.
More than a thousand people attended the unveiling which is dedicated to the all the Welsh men and women who took part in the First World War.
The Welsh Memorial in Flanders was an idea between two men who met randomly on a battlefield near Ypres in Belgium.
They discussed why there was no memorial to the Welsh who served in the war when every other nation seemed to have its place of commemoration.
Peter Carter Jones, became the Welsh co-ordinator and set about forming the Welsh Committee to raise funds for the proposed memorial and a Belgian, Erwin Ureel, became the Flemish co-ordinator.
The service was attended by Flemish dignitaries, Wales’ First Minister Carwyn Jones and representatives from the three armed forces.
Mr Mortimer-Rees is a former St Martin’s School pupil who has completed two tours of Afghanistan and stood guard at Buckingham Palace.
He said: “When I was asked to go to Flanders for this memorial I was honoured to be representing the regiment at such an event.
“Being in the area where so many Welshmen gave their lives 100 years ago gives you a chill down your spine.
“You’re feeling immensely proud to honour the sacrifices they made and at the same time, as the speeches are made, you’re learning about the significance of the statue.”
The soldier also attended the service at Westminster Abbey on August 4 to commemorate the outbreak of World War I.
He said: “Taking part in these occasions really brings home what happened.
“I was amazed at the number of people who travelled to Belgium. You could see that this meant so much to people when you looked around at the crowd. It’s something I’ll never forget.”
First Minister Carwyn Jones told the service: “This memorial is the result of many years of hard work by dedicated individuals both in Flanders and of course in Wales.
“This impressive sculpture demonstrates the importance with which we, in Wales together with our partners in Flanders, hold the memory of those who sacrificed their lives a century ago.”