Pictured: The tribute to the Battle of Britain painted in The Quarry
RAF Shawbury personnel will parade along St Chad’s Terrace from 10.45am on Sunday, September 13th, followed by a short wreath-laying ceremony at the War Memorial in The Quarry.
A bugler will sound the Last Post before a two-minute silence at 11am, giving those gathered an opportunity to remember the hundreds of people who lost their lives during the Battle of Britain.
To mark the anniversary, Shrewsbury Town Council has also repainted Winston Churchill’s famous words on the grass near the War Memorial.
Delivered by Churchill in 1940, the words read: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
The annual service commemorates the RAF pilots and aircrew who defended the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain, fought between July and October 1940. It became the first major military campaign to be fought entirely by air forces.
Battle of Britain Day is marked on September 15th, the date in 1940 when the RAF gained a decisive victory over the Luftwaffe during Nazi Germany’s largest daylight attack of the campaign.
The Mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor Bernie Bentick, will lead the civic party and hopes as many people as possible will attend the service.
He said: “The Battle of Britain is remembered for the extraordinary courage of ‘The Few’, but it is important that we also remember the many thousands of people whose work, sacrifice and determination made that victory possible.
“More than 80 years later, we still owe an enormous debt to everyone who stood up to defend our country and our freedoms. This service gives the people of Shrewsbury an opportunity to come together, reflect on that remarkable generation and ensure that their stories and sacrifices continue to be remembered.
“I would encourage everyone to join us in The Quarry for what will be a moving and fitting tribute.”
Around 70 personnel from RAF Shawbury will take part in the parade, including many who are currently undergoing training with No.1 Flying Training School or the Defence College of Air and Space Operations.
Wing Commander Paddy Durnin, Station Commander at RAF Shawbury, said: “Royal Air Force Shawbury is honoured to commemorate the Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, alongside Shropshire Council invited dignitaries, on Sunday, September 13th. Many of our 70 personnel from RAF Shawbury involved in Sunday’s parade are at the start of their careers, as they are currently undergoing training with No.1 Flying Training School or the Defence College of Air and Space Operations. Parading on Sunday will give our personnel a great source of pride, as we all remember the brave air and ground crews who fought so valiantly to protect our shores as the last remaining free country of Europe in 1940. Some 856 personnel lost their lives in the air or on the ground in the Battle of Britain and Sunday is about remembering their ultimate sacrifices to our country.”
Service of Commemoration
War Memorial, The Quarry
10.45am – Parade along St Chad’s Terrace
10.50am – Service of Commemoration
11am – Two Minutes Silence
11.02am – Wreath Laying
Road closures will be in place along St Chad’s Terrace from approximately 10am until 11.30am on Sunday, September 13th, while the parade and service take place.