A FORMER soldier will mark his proudest Remembrance Sunday this weekend when for the first time he wears the medal he should have received 50 years ago.

Arnold Sanderson will be able to wear his medal after the Government finally honoured the "forgotten army" which served during the Suez Canal Emergency in the early 1950s.

Mr Sanderson, who is the parade marshal for Spennymoor Town Council's Remembrance Parade received his medal in the post last Friday. He said: "It was quite a surprise to find it here when I returned from my holiday. When you think about it, we lost 350 blokes who have never been recognised and there were about 2,000 injured.

"This is a great honour for them to be recognised. They have never been mentioned at any of the remembrance parades and if you like we are the forgotten army.''

The 72-year-old served as a sub-corporal acting sergeant in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers at Suez in 1953 and 1954 when he was just 21.

He is now looking forward to wearing his medal for the first time on Sunday.

He said: "It will be an honour. We have a wonderful parade. People travel from all over to take part and I am looking forward to wearing my medal.''

People are asked to meet at Spennymoor Town Hall on Sunday for the service at 10am before going on the parade to the cenotaph for the laying of the wreaths at 11am.