Armed Forces Day is a chance to show your support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community, from currently serving troops to service families, veterans and cadets. Armed Forces Day takes place on the last Saturday each June, this year it lands on June 24.
Celebrations began on June 19 when the Armed Forces Day flag was raised on buildings and famous landmarks around the country. Here are a few places around Sussex that are joining in on the celebrations this Armed Forces day.
There will be a number of events taking place around the county so do check your local area for anything going on. Many places will see flypasts from impressive military aircraft.
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Crawley
The event takes place between 10am and 2pm on Saturday June 24 in Memorial Gardens. The Surrey and Sussex Bugle Pipe Band will lead a procession through Memorial Gardens and the town centre from 10.30am.
This will be followed by entertainment on the bandstand from 11am, including live music from local singer Victoria Boltwood and Crawley Millennium Concert Band plus a performance from M&M Theatre School.
There will be stands from military partners including The Royal British Legion, 4PWRR, The Crawley and Horsham Veterans’ Breakfast Club, Sea Cadets, Army Cadets and Air Cadets, plus historical military vehicles, a military exhibition, tombola and refreshments. All proceeds from refreshments will go to the Mayor’s charity, the Crawley and Horsham Veterans’ Breakfast Club.
Eastbourne
The event is running from 9am to 6pm at Five Acre Field, Lottbridge Drove. Local veterans have come together to organise and run this year’s Armed Forces Day, to showcase the military associations in the area.
There will be various displays and entertainment, numerous stalls ranging from crafts, to food, to games and competitions, and a licensed bar.
A Chinook helicopter will fly over at 1.25pm. The Chinook is an extremely capable and highly versatile support helicopter that can be operated from land bases or ships into a diverse range of environments. The aircraft is often seen flying over Eastbourne during its Summer Airshow.
Littlehampton
Armed Forces Day event will take place on the Seafront Greens 10.30am and 5pm.
This year’s attractions include performances from Rose and Thistle Pipe Band and the Silhouette Show as well as an Armoured Vehicles display and the Army Cadets KITCAR display. Military enthusiasts can enjoy an array of military vehicles, vintage fire engines as well as a variety of exhibits and activities in the Littlehampton Museum tent. The Cadets Massed Band and the RAFA 381 Bognor Regis Choir will both perform on the Stage by the Sea.
Taking place over the sea with the sky as its stage, the event will be topped off with two unmissable aerial displays; the Pitts Special Aerial Display at 11.45am and a Spitfire display at 2.30pm.
Worthing
Steyne Gardens will host the annual Armed Forces Day with a march through town by the Band & Bugles of the Rifles Regiment, starting at the Town Hall at 9.30am. There will be displays by the Grenadier Guards, 12 Regt Royal Artillery, Military Vehicles, Army, Sea and Air Cadets, live music by the Vintage Trio & the Alice Band, and many more.
Come and learn how to look up your family’s military history with the War Graves commission. There will also be a food court, children’s rides and loads of stalls.
There will also be a Battle of Britain Spitfire flypast at 12:25.