Members of the Royal Artillery from Essex and East London thrilled the crowds at the weekend when they fired several shots with their 25-pounder field-guns in a Second World War re-enactment.

The battalion from the Tower of London and Tilbury Fort fired at the end of the minute’s silence for those who have lost their lives in armed conflicts around the world, then gave a display of battle tactics using vintage field guns.

Crowds of several hundred watched the display on the seafront Harbour Park at the South Coast resort of Littlehampton in Sussex on Saturday, which also included military parades with serving and veteran members of the Armed Forces and a Royal Navy Linx MK 8 battle helicopter ‘loop the loop’ display overt the Channel.

A lifesize spitfire replica and an army assault course was one of the biggest attractions for kids as well as a 6:1 scaled down battle between opposing German and US model tanks staged by the UK Scale Model club.

One of the model German Mk 1 Tiger tanks appeared to challenge the Royal Artillery’s real-life armoured vehicles. But 2nd Lt James Gray, stationed at Tilbury, soon saw off the ‘invader’ and kept Britain safe for the kids.

Pictures: Mike Brooke