THE crowd at the Royal Welsh Show cheered a Newport Battle of Britain veteran as a pair of Second World War fighters flew overhead this week.

The flypast of the two Spitfires was organised as part of the celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle.

The city's famous toastmaster 99-year-old Harry Poloway joined the RAF in 1940 and served throughout the war in Britain and across the UK.

He has officiated at events with the Queen, Prince Charles, the Aga Khan and the Dalai Lama, but the flypast was, he said, “the greatest honour he'd ever had." adding: "I'm very grateful to the RAF who have arranged for this to happen today."

With another RAF South Wales veteran from the Second World War, 94-year-old Eileen Younghusband, Harry joined the most senior RAF officer in Wales, Air Commodore Adrian Williams (Air Officer Wales) in taking a salute as the pair of fighters flew low over the showground.

Harry worked as an electrical engineer in the RAF working to provide electrical power to vital defences like radar stations. He saw service at Battle of Britain station North Weald and overseas in Egypt and Sicily. He reached the rank of Warrant Officer before he was demobbed in 1946.

The flypast was organised as part of the celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle which saw the RAF stop German attempts to crush British resistance as a prelude to invasion.

He said the Spitfire conjured up emotional memories for him: "Some years ago I was at an air museum with a Spitfire on display and I cried when I went up and touched it, but to see them here today was just wonderful."

As Harry went back to the grandstand he was surrounded by people wanting their picture taken with him and wanting to know more about the war veteran with a chest full of medals. As well as campaign honours from the Second World War he has the BEM, MBE and is a Knight of the Order of St John.

Harry explained how important events like this are. "I'm pleased that there are still some of us here to see this. We must take it upon ourselves to tell youngsters about the war and how we must always strive for peace.

"It reminds people of the sacrifice people made during the Battle of Britain and through the war. Some of the pilots flying them lasted a day. It's also a reminder that I did my bit and I'm glad I did my bit."

"We should keep marking these anniversaries - keep remembering."

The battle, fought over Britain between the 10th July and 31st October 1940, was the first major military campaign in history to be fought entirely in the air. It was the result of a German plan to win air superiority over southern Britain and the English Channel by destroying the British air force and aircraft industry. The Nazis saw this as a prelude to the invasion of Britain.

In winning the battle for control of the air over Britain, Hitler was forced to postpone and eventually cancel Operation Sea Lion, the planned invasion of Britain. This failure to destroy Britain's air defences to and force us to surrender or negotiate a peace is considered by historians to be the first major defeat in World War II of Nazi Germany and a crucial turning point in the war.

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is the RAF's tribute to the aviators of the battle and of the Second World War, and flies several Spitfires, two Hurricanes, a Dakota transport and a Lancaster bomber.

Argus Digital Editor Martin Wade, an RAF reservist with Number 614 (County of Glamorgan) Squadron, took Harry and Eileen to and from the Royal Welsh at Builth Wells and escorted him on to the showground.