Airbase hosts military event

Monday 6th July 2009, 10:40AM BST.

Godfrey Yardley, veteran crew member, pictured at the Veterans Day celebrations at RAF Shawbury with the rebuilt Horsa glider he used to fly in. Hundreds of people were at a Shropshire airbase this weekend for a military event.

More than 500 former servicemen and women and their families were at RAF Shawbury yesterday for a Veterans’ Day celebration.

The event was being held as a way of paying tribute to men and women who have served in the RAF, and was also part of a nationwide Armed Forces Day held to raise awareness and show appreciation of soldiers from all over the country.

At the event, people could browse around the airbase and look at aircraft and military vehicle displays.

Squadron Leader Neil Hope, from the base, said the event was an “outstanding success”. “We had over 500 people here.

“We had displays of all the aircraft of the Assault Glider Trust, including the Tiger Moth, and there were further stalls and displays and there was also some military equipment there and some guns and some World War Two vehicles,” he said.

Squadron Leader Hope said Princes William and Harry, who are learning to fly helicopters at the base as part of their training, were away carrying out civic duties.

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