BROTHERS Lawrence and Ron Belcher have always been extremely grateful they survived the Second World War.

They were two of five brothers who returned home to their mother Helen in Oxford and, over the past two decades, the brothers have attended every Turning The Pages ceremony at Christ Church Cathedral to remember those who were not so lucky.

The ceremony is held every two months and features representatives from the armed forces who gather to read out the names of 20 men from the Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars – also known as the Oxfordshire Yeomanry – and the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry killed in the two world wars.

But now Lawrence and Ron, 94 and 99 respectively, have decided Saturday’s ceremony might have been their final one together.

Lawrence, from Kennington, said: “Until now, Ron and I have never missed a single ceremony. But God willing, Ron will be turning 100 in May.

“We made it to the last one on Saturday, when the organisers kindly allowed us to be driven into Christ Church and had wheelchairs waiting for us.

“It was a bit of a special one for us.”

He added: “It’s a lovely ceremony, a very good thing to do.

“And, of course, with the Second World War, we recognise a lot of the names.”

Mr Belcher was one of seven boys and three girls raised by Frank and Helen Belcher in Sunningwell Road, South Oxford. Their father had served with the Royal Engineers in the First World War.

Along with four of his brothers, Reg, Ron, Eric and Bert, Lawrence joined the Oxfordshire Yeomanry before hostilities started in 1939.

Eric was commissioned in the RAF and flew Lancaster Bombers, completing 10 night operations above Berlin. Bert was also in the RAF.

Ron, who also lives in Kennington with his wife Sybil, served across Europe throughout the war.

He was one of the first soldiers to discover the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

And it wasn’t just the boys who helped the war effort.

Sister Myrtle served with Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps in Italy, the Middle East and India.

Lawrence himself wanted to serve abroad but, after being trained at Sandhurst, his superiors decided the then Lieutenant Belcher would be of better use on UK soil.

He said: “I ended up in Anglesey. I never even saw a German.”

After the war he worked at Pressed Steel in Cowley until 1982.

He and his wife Mary, who passed away in 2004, were married for 56 years.

Bob Sheldon, secretary of the Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars, said he was proud to be associated with the Belcher brothers.

He said they would be greatly missed at the cathedral ceremonies.