A Battle of Britain pilot shot down in Walton was remembered at a memorial service on Saturday, September 24.

Spitfire pilot Flight Sergeant Charles Sydney’s plane crashed down in Station Avenue, Walton, in September 1940.

A memorial plaque in the road marks the exact spot his plane came down.

It was covered in graffiti and litter at one point, until the council stepped in to tidy it up.

The pilot was involved in some of the fiercest aerial combat of the entire war, until enemy fire hit him in Kingston and brought him down a few miles away.

He was just 25 at the time and flying a spitfire from 92 squadron, based at Biggin Hill.

Army, sea and air cadets all attended the memorial, along with the mayor of Elmbridge, Councillor John Sheldon, and his wife Mary, and Councillor Christine Elmer who helped make the memorial an annual event.

Coun Sheldon said: “It gets bigger and better every year. It is our moral duty to remember. Those of us old enough to remember the last war know what a terrible thing it was and how many people sacrificed their lives.

“But there’s another duty as well. It’s very important people learn lessons from these frightful conflicts, especially young people because they are the ones that will be running the country in the future and we need to ensure we never see another world war.”

Also present at the memorial were two men who were children playing in nearby allotments when the plane crashed down.

Coun Sheldon said: “They said there were a lot of aircraft in the air and the Spitfire apparently rolled on its back and went straight in to the ground nose first.

“The people who saw it said they thought the pilot was probably killed before the plane hit the ground, which was probably the reason for the crash.”

Jim Sewell, communications officer for Walton Army Cadets said it was a small, but important ceremony.

He said: “We do this so he’s not forgotten, but it’s not just about him. It is about remembering all of those who died in the Battle of Britain.”