A  Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army’s legendary 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment, whose troops were renowned for their bravery during the Second World War, joined Aldbourne’s Remembrance Day service on Sunday.

Members of the regiment, whose sacrifices in the D-Day landings inspired the movie Band of Brothers, were stationed in the village during the war and their courage is remembered by the local re-enactment group Screaming Eagles.

The Eagles were delighted to welcome 506 officer Lieutenant Colonel Mark Huston and three officers from the United States Air Force, all of whom are based at the Joint Forces College at Shrivenham, to the ceremony at St Michael’s Church.

Later Lt Col Huston inspected the ‘troops’ before presenting a certificate and a US flag to the Blue Boar Inn for the part it played in the war and for keeping the memory of the regiment alive with displays of photographs and plaques.