Tendring District Council (TDC) paid tribute to “the few” on Battle of Britain Day.
The authority flew a special Battle of Britain Memorial flag at Clacton Town Hall on Sunday, 15 September, to remember the aerial conflict, which took place in 1940 as part of the Second World War.
Wartime prime minister Sir Winston Churchill called the brave pilots of the RAF ‘the few’ when he praised them for valiantly defending Britain from aerial attack by the Luftwaffe.
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few,” he told the House of Commons following the battle.
TDC Chairman Dan Casey, who is also President of Clacton Royal British Legion and the council’s Armed Forces Champion, said: “It is important that we remember the service and sacrifice of the brave pilots of the RAF.
“We enjoy the freedoms that we have today because of their heroic efforts.
“Raising the flag gave us the chance to show our gratitude publicly.”
The Clacton branch of the Royal Air Force Association held a service marking the 84th anniversary of the Battle of Britain on Sunday at Clacton War Memorial, where Councillor Casey laid a wreath on behalf of the council.