The last-ever RAF Lyneham Freedom Parade will take place through the town centre of Swindon this Friday, 47 years after the base was granted the Freedom of the Borough.
The base is due to close later this year, which means that the regularly-held event, when an RAF contingent exercise their freedom rights by marching through the streets with a band and with standards flying and with fixed bayonets, will not happen again. The Freedom of the Borough was presented to the base in May 1964.
The event begins at 1pm at the Civic Offices in Euclid Street, when there will be a General Salute and inspection of the service personnel by the Mayor of Swindon, Cllr Ray Ballman.
The Parade will then move off at 1.15pm and will march from Euclid Street via Clarence Street, Crombey Street, Dowling Street, Commercial Road, Regent Circus, Princess Street and back to the Civic Offices. During the parade, at 1.28pm, the Mayor and Lyneham Station Commander Group Captain John Gladston will take a salute on a dias outside the Central Library in Commercial Road, when a flypast by one of Lyneham’s Hercules transport aircraft will also take place.