The 71st Anniversary Service of the Battle of Britain has been held, for the first time, in Lympne, near Hythe.

During the war RAF Lympne was a front-line fighter base. It was heavily bombed during the Battle of Britain in 1940 and put out of action for a number of weeks.

Lympne returned to civilian use on 1 January 1946.

The family of a Belgian pilot, Albert Van-Den Hove d'Ertsenrijck - his two daughters, son-in-law, niece and grandson who had spent the morning at the Battle of Britain Memorial in Capel and the Hawkinge Battle of Britain Museum attended the commemorative service.

County Councillor Carole Waters and District Council Chairman Jenny Hollingsbee joined members of the Royal Air Force Association for the service at the Parish Church of St Stephen at Lympne.

Mayors and deputy Mayors from across the district with local County Councillor Susan Carey and children and the head teacher of Lympne School were also present at the Anniversary Service which is now expected to be held regularly in Lympne.

Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast News 2011©