The Royal Mint released a short film yesterday to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

In the 12-minute film, five Battle of Britain veterans talk about their experience of the war and how it has shaped their lives.

The event, which was held in association with the Battle of Britain Fighter Association and the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, also marked the launch of a limited edition Battle of Britain coin.

The £5 coin, which was designed by Thomas Docherty, shows a squadron of Spitfires in action, and bears the words Battle of Britain 1940.

The five veterans who appear in the film were each presented with one of the coins.

Dave Knight, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, said: “We are all indebted to the brave airmen who fought on our behalf and they deserve to be remembered.

“The Royal Mint is proud to be a part of the creation of this short film and we hope it will bring people closer to the history that has made our nation what it is today.

“We are honoured to be able to present these five veterans with a tribute to their determination and action. Without them, our country would probably not be the place that we know now.”

The Royal Mint has launched a virtual memorial wall at www.celebratebritain.com, where people can post tributes to contributions made by their family and friends during the Battle of Britain.

It will donate £1 to the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust’s Learning Centre Appeal for every person who posted a tribute between September 3 and October 17, up to £10,000.

The learning centre at Capel-le-Ferne will use film, walk-through displays and modern technology to recreate the events of 1940, to help people experience what it was like to have fought in the Battle of Britain.