A SPECIAL service of remembrance, to commemorate the Australian and New Zealand troops who fought alongside the British in the First World War, took place in Milford Haven today.

Organised by the town's Royal British Legion branch, the service was led by Steve Traynar.

One of Australia’s most important national occasions, Anzac Day marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

On April 25, 1915, the Anzacs – troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps - took part in an Allied expedition to capture the Gallipoli peninsula.

In addition to the 21,000 British and Irish dead, more than 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed before troops were evacuated in January 1916.

The loss left a powerful legacy, and Anzac Day became established as a national day of commemoration for the 60,000 Australians who had died during the war.

The Milford Haven service took place in Hamilton Terrace, near where five Australian pilots lost their lives in 1942.