A fly-past by iconic World War II aircraft marked the celebration of Armed Forces Day at a Teesside seaside town.
Hundreds attended Saturday’s event in Redcar, including veterans of all ages as well as serving military personnel.
A Lancaster bomber and two Spitfires of the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight team delighted the crowds below as they passed.
Other highlights from the day included a parade, aerial demonstrations from a tiger moth bi-plane and the RAF’s Red Devils, a drill competition for tri-service cadets and living World War I historians.
This year’s event served to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great War, the 75th anniversary of the start of World War II and the 70th anniversary of D-Day, which all occur this year.
View gallery Armed Forces Day in Redcar
View gallery
Veteran, Eric Howden, chairman of the Redcar Royal British Legion and the council’s Armed Forces champion, said: “Too many people lost their lives for us to celebrate such events but we must remember them and those that have lost their lives in more recent conflicts.”
The event is organised by the Redcar branch of the Royal British Legion in conjunction with Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and the town’s Rotary Club.
Military charities, standard bearers and reserve forces units were in attendance at the event which also featured a climbing wall, paint balling and face painting.
To start the day ‘morning colours’ were raised by cadets from the training ship, Zetland, before last post, silence and reveille, was sounded and observed.
Olwyn Peters, Redcar & Cleveland Council’s cabinet member for culture, leisure and tourism, said: “Armed Forces Day is an opportunity for us civvies to show our appreciation for the fantastic job the Armed Forces do and show them how proud we are of them.”
Mayor of Redcar & Cleveland, Carole Simms, was invited to meet all those on parade before the parade marched off ready for the day’s events which took place in the town centre and on the esplanade.
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