Sunday 14th October sees Shrewsbury’s civic leaders marking the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. A parade by RAF Shawbury personnel will take place along St Chad’s Terrace at 10.45am followed by a short wreath-laying ceremony at the War Memorial in the Quarry.

A bugler will sound Last Post followed by a two-minute silence at 11.00am to commemorate the hundreds of lives lost during the battle.

To mark this significant milestone, Shrewsbury Town Council has also repainted the famous Churchill quote on the grass near the War Memorial in the Quarry. Delivered by Winston Churchill in 1940, the words read:

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

The gesture provides a poignant reminder of the courage and sacrifice of those who fought in the skies 85 years ago.

The annual commemorative service marks the defence of the United Kingdom by Royal Air Force pilots and aircrew and the loss of more than 500 lives during the Battle of Britain between July and October 1940, which has been recognised as the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces.

September 15 saw the RAF gain a decisive victory over the Luftwaffe in what was Nazi Germany’s largest daylight attack. Some 1,120 Luftwaffe aircraft were sent to attack London but were repelled by just 630 RAF fighters, marking the end of Hitler’s plans to invade Britain.

The Mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor Alex Wagner, will lead the civic party and said he hoped as many people as possible will turn out to pay tribute to those who served. He added:

“We owe so much to our brave pilots and aircrew who fought to defend our country, and I am honoured to be taking part in this weekend’s commemorative event. I hope members of the public will turn out to pay tribute to those who served, especially on this 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.”

Road closures will be in place along St Chad’s Terrace from approximately 10:00am until 11.30am to allow the event to take place.