Gallery: High Wycombe marks 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain

Hundreds of people joined together in the town centre to mark the occasion with the aircraft soaring over the Wycombe branch of the Royal Air Force Association in Totteridge Road on Sunday afternoon.

The flypast followed a parade and the laying of wreaths by dignitaries including Wycombe District Council Chairman Cllr Ian McEnnis and the Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, at the National Serviceman’s Memorial in the Old Library Gardens and the All Saints Parish Church War Memorial.

Cllr McEnnis, who served for 34 years in the RAF and helped to organise the flypast, said: “It was wonderful to see so many people – from residents and politicians, to serving officers at RAF High Wycombe – coming together to pay their respects to our heroes.

“The flypast was a fitting way to remember the brave ‘few’ who fought for our freedom 75 years ago in the Battle of Britain.”

The Battle of Britain – fought entirely in the air – was a pivotal moment in the Second World War.

The German air force, called the Luftwaffe, began bombing British airfields and factories in the summer of 1940 in a bid to clear a route in to Britain to launch an invasion.

Although Fighter Command was initially outnumbered, Britain ramped up factory production and by October 1940 the RAF had more fighter planes than the Luftwaffe.

Battle of Britain Day – 15 September, 1940 – was the day the RAF saw off the Luftwaffe’s largest assault on London, which resulted in Adolf Hitler postponing his plans to invade Britain.

More than 544 RAF personnel were killed during the campaign.

A range of events have already been staged around the country over the past few months to mark the fighting.

And in Wycombe, a bugler from the 332 High Wycombe Sqn ATC Squadron sounded The Last Post to begin a minute’s silence outside the church which was brought to an end by the sound of Reveille.