HUNDREDS of people lined the streets of Wallingford today to watch staff from RAF Benson march through the town to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the air base.

RAF Benson was granted the Freedom of the Borough in 1957, but it is the first time personnel has exercised the right to parade through the town for more than eight years.

More than 130 RAF personnel marched through the town – and their arrival was greeted with clapping and cheering from people standing around the market place.

A large crowd gathered to watch town mayor Alec Hayton and station commander Group Captain Jonathan Burr inspect the ranks.

The parade included the Central Band of the Royal Air Force.

Mr Hayton said: “We are immensely proud of RAF Benson and its connections with the town. We gave them the freedom in 1957, and they have exercised it about every 10 years.

“A lot of servicemen stay on in the town after they have left the RAF. At the moment, they have a very active life in places far from home, including Iraq and Afghanistan, and do a tremendous job.”

Mr Burr added: “We are very lucky at RAF Benson to have such great support from the community and this is our way of saying thank-you.

“There is also support from the villages of Benson and Ewelme as well.”

Wing Commander Steve Jackson added: “We have 1,700 personnel at Benson and, with their families, there are 3,200 people living behind the wire.

“They all rely on the town of Wallingford for health, education and social services links, and the proximity of the base probably gives the local economy a boost.”

Town clerk Andrew Rogers said the town council would like staff at the base to march through the town every year and added: “This seemed like a good day to celebrate.”

During the parade, a Puma helicopter and a Merlin helicopter flew over the Market Place.

Bob Turrell, 70, from Wheatley, who was based at RAF Hendon in 1958, said: “I came to the last parade in 2001, and I wanted to come here today to give them a good welcome.”

Wendy Palmer, 47, was with her daughter Romany Hensley, 29, and her two granddaughters to watch son-in-law Simon Hensley, an airframe technician, in the parade.

She said: “I thought the parade was lovely — it was nice to see them all dressed up in the sunshine.”

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