War days come back to Ramsbury and Aldbourne

The event, on May 5 in Ramsbury, will commemorate Operation Market Garden, a Allied military operation in the Netherlands and Germany.

And it will look at the role of the Allied Forces in the Kennet Valley and East Wiltshire.

There will be a parade through the village, imitating the arrival of the 30 Corps in the Dutch town of Eindhoven, which was one of the first to be freed by the 101st US Airborne Division and the 30 Corps.

It is being held in the village because many of the men who were involved in the operation came from the area.

The parade will also feature tanks and armoured and artillery vehicles flanked by US airborne forces.

Keith Brigstock, the event co-ordinator and a member of the Kennet Valley area of the Military Vehicle Trust, said: "We will be having living history displays.

"On the show field people will be able to see military vehicles, artillery firing and even flying displays from an Auster and a Spitfire.

"There will also be parachute drop from a wartime C47 Dakota.

"We have done re-enactments before but nothing on this scale.

"Since I didn't know much about the American side of things, I decided to do something which would have both British and American troops in it.

"Ramsbury Memorial Hall will be converted into Ramsbury war museum and have a lot of historic material."

Mr Brigstock said the event would be a one-off as the money to organise it was obtained from a Lottery grant.

There will be activities on May 3 and May 4 but they will only be for military vehicle owners and re-enactors.

However, the evening activities will be open to the public. On Saturday evening, activities will be centred on Aldbourne and be focused on the US contingent.

The following evening's activities will take place in Ramsbury.

The re-enactment day on Bank Holiday Monday will be open to the public between 10am and 5pm.

Tickets are £5 for adults. Children and pensioners are admitted free. For more details visit www.routetovictory.info.