Prince humbled by sacrifices of 'The Few'

Members of the Royal Family and Prime Minister David Cameron joined veterans yesterday for a thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey in London to mark the landmark anniversary.

They watched as a Spitfire and a Hurricane flew above the abbey to commemorate one of the most pivotal battles in recent British military history.

Speaking after the service, Prince Charles said: "I always find it so moving, this particular service each year, it always brings a tear to my eye, particularly in the way the wonderful veterans marched up the aisle. There's something very special about it, of course we owe an enormous debt to them, it makes one feel very humble."

One of the largest parades in the country was held in Yorkshire yesterday when more than 300 RAF personnel, cadets and veterans marched through York before a service of thanksgiving in the city's Minster. The anniversary celebrations in York saw a flypast with a Spitfire from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and pilots from RAF Linton-on-Ouse in Tucano aircraft.

The Battle of Britain was a pivotal moment in the Second World War as the RAF's pilots foiled Adolf Hitler's invasion plans. Almost 3,000 air crew served with Fighter Command during the course of the Battle of Britain, nearly 600 of whom were from the British Dominions, and occupied European or neutral countries.

The Chief of Air Staff, Sir Stephen Dalton, said winning the Battle of Britain was vital to the overall outcome of the war.

Speaking outside Westminster Abbey, he said: "Unless we had control of the skies over Britain we could not build up the forces ready to liberate Europe later."