FORCES veteran Bob Edwards is calling on people across Oxfordshire to honour the county’s servicemen during the first British Armed Forces Day on Saturday.

Organisers hope the event will become an annual opportunity for everyone to show their appreciation for those who have served their country.

Mr Edwards, a retired RAF sergeant based at Brize Norton, said it was important for people to remember the nation’s armed forces past, present and future.

Earlier this week, Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council, and the four district councils raised special flags at their offices in honour of the occasion.

Yesterday, South East Minister Jonathan Shaw was in Carterton to meet personnel from RAF Brize Norton and retired veterans.

Mr Edwards, of Richens Drive, Carterton, served in the RAF between 1959 and 1985, and was posted to Singapore and Cyprus.

He said: “The day is about honouring armed forces and veterans and all supporting aspects of the armed forces, as well as raising awareness of the past and to make people aware of what the armed forces do.

“We should be very grateful for what the armed forces do and, from looking back at history, you can see the efforts of the armed forces have made this country free.”

The 70-year-old grandfather of four said: “I would like Armed Forces Day to grow in all parts of the country – and I would like to see Oxfordshire get in line with that.

“We have RAF Benson, Brize Norton, troops at Dalton Barracks, Bicester and Didcot and the army school at Shrivenham and we should honour them.”

Events are planned across the county.

In Banbury, hundreds of people are expected to line the streets for a freedom parade with troops from 5 Squadron (Queens Own Oxfordshire Hussars) Signal Regiment (Volunteers), organised by Banbury Town Council, at 10.30am.

In Wantage, a parade will take place through the town from the Civic Hall at 12.50pm, organised by members of Berkshire and the Vale of White Horse Royal British Legion, led by Wantage Silver Band.

Contingents from Dennison Barracks, Hermitage, near Newbury, RAF Benson and the Air Training Corps Cadets will march alongside veterans.

Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Boyd-Carpenter, president of the Berkshire Royal British Legion, and Wantage mayor Patrick O’Leary will take the salute.

A short service at the town’s war memorial in Portway at 1.50pm will draw the celebration to a close.

To date 176 UK troops have been killed in Iraq, and a further 91 in Afghanistan since 2001.

eallen@oxfordmail.co.uk