Banbury flies the flag ahead of Armed Forces Day

A Spitfire flypast will be one of the key moments when Banbury marks Armed Forces Day on Saturday.
The Armed Forces Day flag was raised at Banbury Town Hall on Monday, June 20The Armed Forces Day flag was raised at Banbury Town Hall on Monday, June 20
The Armed Forces Day flag was raised at Banbury Town Hall on Monday, June 20

To start the countdown to this weekend’s event, military representatives and civic leaders took part in a special ceremony that saw the Armed Forces flag raised above Banbury Town Hall yesterday, Monday.

It promises to be another action-packed event – and the iconic Second World War fighter plane is due to perform the flypast just before noon.

It will be just one of many highlights at the event which runs from 10am to 2pm in the town centre and will include military demonstrations, static displays and military vehicles.

A parade through town will see current service personnel, cadets and veterans line up with civic leaders and others in the Market Place for a procession led by a marching band.

The parade will start at 11am and march up Parson’s Street, along Horsefair and down High Street for a salute near the bandstand to be taken by town mayor Jayne Strangwood and Banbury’s High Steward Sir Tony Baldry.

A drumhead service in the Market Place will take place after the procession. It will show how troops hold religious services on battlefields using drums as makeshift altars. The service will be conducted by Padre Charles Lewis, who is chaplain to the Thames Valley Air Training Corps.

The event is organised by Banbury Town Council and is organised as a tribute to service men and women past, present and future.

Council leader and president of the Banbury branch of the Royal British Legion Kieron Mallon said this week: “Armed Forces Day in Banbury is a superb event that shows the town’s historical and ongoing links with the military. This year will be another very special day and the flypast will be something everyone will want to see.”

The running order for this Saturday, June 25, is as follows:

10am – event opens

10.45am – parade forms

11am – parade departs

11.20am – parade arrives back at Market Place

11.25am – drumhead service

11.57am – Spitfire flypast

12.05pm – Market Place displays

2pm – event ends