RAF Shawbury commemorate the Battle of Britain
Service personnel from RAF Shawbury and the Defence Helicopter Flying School will be commemorating the Battle of Britain in a number of special events on the base and in the local area.
The airbase will host formal Dining in Nights for all personnel in the 3 Messes on Station over the next few weeks including the Officers Mess with guest speaker Flight Lieutenant (Retd) Mike Bailey. Mike flew over 70 different aircraft types for the RAF during his long career and lives in Market Drayton. Mike will be joined at the event by DFC winner John Trotman and Battle of Britain Pilot, Ron Smyth.
On Sunday 18 September personnel from RAF Shawbury and the Defence Helicopter Flying School will attend services in local churches to commemorate the Battle. Personnel will be present at the services at Shawbury, Little Drayton, Ellesmere and Pradoe.
Also on Sunday 18 September personnel from RAF Shawbury and the Defence Helicopter Flying School will attend a ceremony in Shrewsbury. The ceremony begins with a Service of Commemoration at St Chad's Church at 1000 before a wreath laying ceremony in the Quarry at 1105. Both ceremonies are open to the general public.
"RAF Shawbury and the Defence Helicopter Flying School were proud to remember and honour all the airmen who fought, and those who died, in the service of their country in the skies above Britain during those crucial weeks in the summer of 1940. Theirs was the first, great aerial battle for the survival of this country. For their achievements we all give thanks this year, seventy years after their great struggle."
