AN OXFORDSHIRE town which played a key role in the Battle of Britain has marked the 77th anniversary of the campaign.

Banbury residents turned out in force on Sunday to honour the country’s heroes who fought in the 1940 battle.

The town’s former aluminium factory, known as ‘the ally,’ was the only place in England that produced metal for the manufacture of aircraft for the RAF, including Spitfires and Lancaster bombers.

To protect the plant from air raids, the real factory was camouflaged to look like open fields and a fake factory, known as the ‘dummy ally, was built three miles north of Banbury to mislead German bombers.

A military and civic parade marched from Broad Street, up High Street, round the Cross into Horsefair and then to St Mary’s Church for a memorial service.

After the service the parade marched back down High Street for the salute opposite the bandstand.

Hundreds of people lined the route to watch the processions.

Known as the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces, the Battle of Britain was fought in the skies above southern England in the summer and autumn of 1940.

Nazi Germany were aiming to force the UK to negotiate a peace setllement by bombarding the country with a large-scale bombing campaign.

The RAF’s defeat of the Luftwaffe was a major turning point for the allies in the Second World War and prevented Hitler from invading England.

Banbury is one of the few towns in England to organise an annual tribute to ‘the few’ and the event is run by the town council.

Leader of the council Kieron Mallon said: “We must never forget the airmen of the Royal Air Force who fought the Battle of Britain.

“Winston Churchill said at the time – ‘never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few’ – and in Banbury we will continue to honour their memory.”