A ten-minute Spitfire display over Seagry was the one of the highlights on Sunday of a service to dedicate a memorial to two Second World War pilots.

Hundreds of people attended the service in Lower Seagry in memory of Flying Officer John Brewster, 25, and Pilot Officer Harold Williams.

The two men, both from 118 Squadron, were flying Spitfire Mks1 when they crashed into each other over Seagry Mill on Palm Sunday, April 6, 1941.

Seagry resident Martin Painter, who came up with the idea for the memorial after finding a piece of wreckage from one of the planes in a field, said he was delighted with how Sunday’s ceremony went.

“It was a fantastic community event,” he said.

“It was humbling that so many people wanted to be involved, it was just fantastic to see the community coming together.

“Everything came together on the day, we were absolutely delighted.”

Nine wreaths were laid during the service, from James Gray MP on behalf of the nation, the Mayor of Chippenham, John Scragg, and Malmesbury’s Deputy Mayor, Kim Power.

The most moving part of the ceremony came when the relations of the two servicemen laid their two of the wreaths together. John Wheelwright, nephew of John Brewster, and Lorna Heads, cousin of Harold Williams, were joined by Doug Wiltshire, a Seagry resident who remembered the aircraft crash.

Mr Painter said the ceremony, which saw a 28-piece brass band from Royal Wootton Bassett play, was well received by a real mix of ages from air cadets to Royal British Legion members who had served in the Second World War.

He said: “It was very much a celebration of what they did, they had a lot of respect. It was a fantastic.

“It went extremely well, it was obviously a thought provoking ceremony.

“The whole thing with the wreaths was very emotional but the Spitfire was the icing on the cake.”

After the service there was a formation flyover by two Hornet Moth aircraft before familiar sound of the Spitfire’s Merlin engine erupted across the skies bringing applause from the crowds with every pass.

Mr Brewster, from Yorkshire, and Mr Williams, of Putney, are buried nearby at St Giles Church in Stanton St Quinton.