How Swindon honoured Battle of Britain heroes: video and picture roundup

Three quarters of a century ago, that sound signified one thing - that young heroes were heading into battle against the gravest threat this nation has ever faced.

Yesterday the sound reminded us that those young heroes succeeded, even though far too many didn’t live long enough to know what they had achieved.

They reminded us of the Battle Of Britain. 

Unlike certain other conflicts before and since, there was no moral ambiguity to the Second World War. It was a simple matter of trying to thwart the most evil regime to arise in modern times.

At stake was not territory or prestige but rather the future of the human race. 

Had the Battle Of Britain been lost, Hitler would have had more resources to pump into the conquest and enslavement of the East and ultimate global domination.

Without straying too far into the realm of alternate history, it is worth remembering that with Europe subdued from Land’s End to the Urals, and Nazi scientists busily working on a nuclear weapon, the future we were saved from might well have been even more nightmarish than people’s worst imaginings at the time.

Yesterday’s respectful commemorations, especially at Radnor Street Cemetery, made for a fitting tribute to those who fought for the freedom we enjoy to this day. Once again, we looked to the skies.

The organisers should congratulate themselves on providing a fitting honour and reminding us of a debt whose true extent will never be fully known.

• THE Adver’s reports during the Battle of Britain were as heavily censored as any other newspaper’s at the time, writes BARRIE HUDSON.

The Government couldn’t prevent people from seeing what they were seeing or hearing what they were hearing, but there was never any hint that the battle was such a close-run thing.

That was understandable, as morale was crucial, and censorship would remain throughout the war. Even when victory was in sight nearly five years later, and the desperate Nazis resorted to launching flying bombs at Southern England, the Government initially blamed gas explosions.

The coverage was especially intense in the few weeks from mid-August.

Our headline on Monday, August 12, was typical: “100 Nazi Planes Make More Raids on South East Coast.”

“Battles at 10,000 feet,” said a sub-heading. “Twelve shot down today,” said another.

No details of precise locations were ever given, although local civilian populations would have been only too aware.

We reported on that day: “Five enemy ‘planes are known to have been shot down, three of them crashing into the Channel.

“A sixth, with smoke pouring from it, was seen heading for the French coast, losing height all the time.”

No opportunity to raise readers’ spirits was passed up.

Three days later, our main front page story began: “Flying slowly in and out through drifting cloud, a lone enemy raider dropped 20 bombs in the suburbs of a South-West town in broad daylight early last evening.

“The only casualty was a mole. Its body was found by the side of a crater.”

Two days afterwards, we reported that no less than 255 Nazi aircraft had been destroyed in the space of 48 hours. That, we said, put total German aircraft losses at 882.

In the last week alone Germany had lost 478 aircraft and Britain just 117, with 46 of our downed pilots safe.

On Monday, September 2, our lead story was about a formation of Nazi aircraft being broken up over the Thames Estuary, with nine shot down against four British losses.

On that day we also reported the loss of 26-year-old Harold Morley Starr, formerly of Swindon. Squadron Leader Starr, we said, was the second British pilot to be machine-gunned by a Nazi aircraft while descending by parachute.

We quoted the official report: “A burst of machine gun fire was heard. When the British parachutist landed it was found that he had been shot through the heart.”

A little over a fortnight later, plans for a Nazi invasion of Britain were put indefinitely on hold.