Troops in Sussex have been warned they are on standby to fight as the US and Britain prepare for a possible invasion of Iraq.

Thousands of reservists have received letters from the Ministry of Defence about a possible call-up to fight alongside the Army and the Territorial Army.

In Worthing, TA soldiers belonging to B Company of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment will start training in the new year for a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

About 20 men from Worthing, Brighton and Hastings have been selected for overseas duty to replace manpower being prepared to invade Iraq.

Some are giving up their jobs to serve in Afghanistan while others have been granted extended leave by their employers.

Troops on standby for Iraq and Afghanistan took part in this year's remembrance services around Sussex yesterday.

At Brighton, Captain Jon Sions, 35, of the TA, a casualty charge nurse, stood proudly next to his grandfather, Second World War veteran Major Philip Sions.

Capt Sions, like many other full-time and reserve military personnel, is waiting to hear whether he will be called up.

The rain, which had fallen constantly all morning, stopped shortly before the contingents of ex-servicemen, Scouts, Guides, Army, Navy and air force cadets began to assemble at the county's war memorials.

At least 500 people watched the parade led by the Salvation Army march along the Old Steine, Brighton, which had been closed to traffic.

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Ken Bodfish was among a large party of dignitaries who laid wreaths at the war memorial.

They included the Mayor and Mayoress, David and Sheila Levenson, Brighton Pavilion MP David Lepper and council chief executive David Panter.

The service was led by the Archdeacon of Chichester, the Venerable Douglas McKittrick, who asked those present to remember "the many who died for peace, so we may live in peace".

In the afternoon Councillor Watkins laid the first wreath at Hove war memorial after former servicemen took part in a procession from Hove Town Hall to Grand Avenue.

About 250 people observed the two minutes' silence after the wreaths were laid.

In Worthing, more than 500 spectators gathered to watch the service and parade.

One cross, in memory of Robert Howard, a private in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, said simply: "Love you, dad."

Another bore a photograph of Percy Bilbrough, of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, who died at Bullecourt on May 3, 1917, after being hit by shrapnel.

The garden contained three Jewish tributes but there was no sign of three Islamic crescents which mysteriously disappeared earlier in the week.

Poppy Appeal organisers, fearing it was the work of somebody with a grudge against Muslims following September 11, were appalled, stating many thousands of Muslims also died during the world wars.

The Reverend David Hill, chaplain to Worthing mayor Councillor Eric Mardell, spoke of respecting other cultures during his sermon.

Alan Moyse, of the Salvation Army, sounded the Last Post after a two minutes' silence at 11am.

There was also a march-past by contingents, including the Air Training Corps, the Aircrew Association, the Army Cadet Force, the British Korean Veterans' Association, the Burma Star Association, the Dunkirk Veterans' Association, the Fleet Air Arm Association, the Guides Association, the Guards Association, the Market Garden Association, the Parachute Regimental Association, the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, the Queen Alexandra Home for Disabled Ex-servicemen, the RASC/Royal Corps of Transport Association, the Reme Association, the Royal Engineers Association, the Royal Artillery Association, the Royal Air Forces Association, the Royal British Legion, the Royal British Legion Women's Section, the Royal Marines Association, the Royal Naval Association, the St John Ambulance Brigade, the Salvation Army Worthing Citadel Band, the Scout Association, the Sea Cadet Corps, the Sussex Constabulary, the West Sussex Fire Brigade, the Women's Royal Voluntary Service, Worthing and District Scout Fellowship and the Association of Wrens.

Services were also held at Eastbourne, Hastings, Horsham, Shoreham, Crawley, Newhaven, Seaford, Chichester, Bognor and Littlehampton.