Page 29 - link magazine

Swindon Remembers

One of The Few

A week of events organised by Swindon Heritage

in advance of the national commemoration of the

75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain

Swindon will witness a flypast by the Battle of Britain memorial flight to honour the 544 RAF pilots killed
between July and September 1940, including Squadron Leader Harold Starr who is buried in Radnor Street Cemetery
The programme of events in September to commemorate the life of this Swindon born pilot:
Tuesday, 8th, 7.15pm, Swindon Central Library* - Illustrated talk: Harold Starr, One of ‘The Few’. Graham Carter, editor of
Swindon Heritage, tells the story of Swindon’s own Battle of Britain hero.
Wednesday 9th, 7.15pm, Swindon Central Library* - Illustrated talk: Flying a Spitfire Pilot Phill O’Dell explains what it’s like
to fly the iconic Second World War fighter.
Thursday, 10th, 7.15pm, Swindon Central Library* - Illustrated talk: Secrets of the Spitfire. Swindon author Lance Cole talks
about his groundbreaking books on the plane’s design.
Saturday, 12th, all day, Swindon Town Centre: Battle of Britain Vintage Day. 1940s-themed displays, stands, stalls, music
and dancing, plus full-size replicas of a Hurricane and a Spitfire.
Sunday, 13th, 10am to 4pm, Radnor Street Cemetery. Guided walks, free burial register look-ups, war graves trail, displays,
music and refreshments. Bring the family and a picnic.
Monday 14th, 7.30pm, The Beehive, Prospect Hill. Flying a Lancaster Bomber. Sqn Ldr Stuart Reid (Retd), who flew the
Lancaster for the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight for 11 years, talks about his experiences.
Tuesday 15th, 12.50pm. Flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in honour of Sdn Ldr Harold Starr and the rest of
‘The Few’. Visible in the town centre and other parts of Swindon (more details to be released at a later date).
*Tickets for talks at the Central Library cost £1.50 (library members) or £2.50 (non-members) per talk. Discount for all three talks:
£3.50 (library members), £6 (non-members). Tickets from the Help Desk on the ground floor of Central Library, tel: 01793 463792,
and all other Swindon libraries. See more details in the
The events are being organised by Swindon Heritage in conjunction with Paul Gentleman and Caroline Black who requested the Swindon Heritage Battle of Britain
flypast on Battle of Britain Day. Supported by First Great Western souvenir edition sponsored by
First Great Western
via www.swindonheritage.com
Swindonheritage @SwindonHeritage Page sponsored by
@SLHaroldStarr Pictured above, part of the
#Swindonflypast Battle of Britain Memorial in Kent