A mother whose career with the American military spanned almost four decades has been awarded the Imperial Service Medal.

For most of her 37 years’ service Audrey Flowers worked at the US Air Force base at Upper Heyford.

After Upper Heyford closed in 1994, she moved to work at the USAF communications base at Croughton, Northants.

When she retired last April, more than 100 colleagues gave her a standing ovation. On Thursday she was invited back to the base to be presented with the medal, the award of which must be approved by The Queen.

Fifty former colleagues gathered to watch the RAF commander at Croughton, Squadron Leader Annie Gibson-Sexton, pin the medal on Ms Flowers’s lapel.

Ms Flowers began work at Upper Heyford the day after her son Adrian started primary school in Charlton, near Banbury, in 1972. Her first post was in the finance department and 17 years later she transferred to the base hospital as chief cashier.

Ms Flowers, of Blenheim Drive, Bicester, said she had fond memories of her time at Upper Heyford. She said: “It was a wonderful place to work, there was such camaraderie.

“It broke my heart when Upper Heyford closed. It really was my career and life then.”