THE 85th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain will be marked by two major events in Ross-on-Wye later this month.

This year marks 85 years since the Battle of Britain, a key moment in the Second World War when the Royal Air Force defended the country against relentless enemy airstrikes.

A flag raising ceremony will be held at the Market House on Monday, September 15, at 9.50am and will be led by Canon Freda Davies and the town mayor.

Within Herefordshire this important event will also be marked by a county parade and church service at the Prospect and at St Mary’s Church in Ross on Sunday, September 28 commencing at noon.

The format of the event will be an inspection of county Air Cadet units to be conducted by Air Marshal Sir Barry Thornton at 11.40am followed by a short parade in the area surrounding St Mary’s Church and The Prospect commencing at 12pm.

The parade will be hosted by 1002 Squadron (Ross-on-Wye) Squadron and led by the Band of 151 (Leominster) Squadron RAF Air Cadets. The Parade will conclude with a march past adjacent to the town’s war memorial in the Prospect.

The Lord-Lieutenant and senior dignitaries will take the salute. Civic leaders from across the county will be attending the event.

Following the Parade there will be a commemorative church service at St Mary’s Church commencing at 12.30pm.

On September 15, 1940, the Luftwaffe launched its most concentrated attack against London in the hope of drawing out the RAF into a battle of annihilation.

Around 1,500 aircraft took part in the air battles, which lasted until dusk. The battle inspired Churchill to say “Never in the field of human conflict was so much been owed by so many to so few,” as he paid tribute to the fighter pilots and bomber crews.