THE anniversary of the air battle which saved Britain from the clutches of Hitler was celebrated in fine style at a museum near York.

In the largest gathering of veterans and Royal Air Force Association members in the region, hundreds turned out at the Yorkshire Air Museum, at Elvington, for the annual Battle of Britain Commemoration.

Honouring the brave pilots who fought in one of the Second World War's most crucial battles, the Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flew over the museum yesterday, to honour The Few.

In 1940, RAF fighters - vastly outnumbered - held off the might of the Luftwaffe and saved the nation from invasion.

Veterans attended a service in the museum's memorial hangar and attended a parade featuring many Regional Standards.

Music was provided by the Band of the Royal Air Force College before Air Chief Marshal Sir J Willis, president of the RAFA's North East Area, led the salute.

Members from the various squadrons of The Air Training Corps Guard of Honour were also in attendance, as were students of the Yorkshire Universities Air Squadron, who took part in the flypast.

Ian Dewar, operations manager at the museum, said: "Once again we have been proud to host this event, with the co-operation of our friends at RAFA.

"Numbers have exceeded expectations today and we were lucky that the fine weather drew the people to this important day.

"The event is always a very colourful and poignant ceremony, especially to see so many veterans who come to honour those who are no longer with us."

Updated: 11:25 Monday, September 02, 2002