SHOWCASE Cinemas have decided to take a film about how Trowbridge residents played their part in defeating Adolf Hitler by building Spitfires across the UK to celebrate the centenary of the RAF.

For the best part of three years, historian Norman Parker, archivist Gary Roberts and director Ethem Cetintas worked feverishly hard to produce their Secret Spitfires film, which features archive footage and interviews of how the iconic planes were built in Wiltshire and the country.

Thanks to the Wiltshire Times’ coverage on this for a year and people power, Showcase Cinemas have asked the team if they can show the film in cinemas across the UK.

So far 13 cinemas have agreed to show it on July 1 ahead of the RAF 100 centrepiece event that is taking place in London on July 10 to celebrate the RAF’s 100th birthday.

“This is just perfect timing for us because since we put together the 50-minute film, we have gathered so much more information, footage and interviews, as people came forward, so now it is 30 minutes longer,” said Mr Cetintas.

“Showcase contacted us to ask if we could do something for the RAF 100 and we gladly agreed to take it national. They said this had legs on it to get more coverage. Odeon may also take it up, so it could come back to Trowbridge once again, like it did before Christmas.

“It was people power and the Wiltshire Times that pushed the film forward the last time and we’re thankful to everyone who has supported this project.”

Mr Cetintas says that Showcase told him that the number of cinemas showing it across the UK is likely to shoot up and it could be shown in America.