Blue plaque for Poole Harbour's flying boats

Flying boats flew from Poole to America and other parts of the British Empire through the 1930s and 40s.

The era of flying-boats departing from the Dorset coast has been commemorated at an event in Poole.

A blue plaque has been unveiled at the site of the first operational headquarters of British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).

Flying boats flew from Poole to US and parts of the British Empire during the 1930s and '40s.

Poole mayor Lindsay Wilson said the planes were an "important part of our town's history".

BOAC was a state-owned British airline established in 1940 by the merger of two existing airlines, Imperial Airways and British Airways.

It operated the only regular civilian flights throughout World War Two and for three years afterwards, the airline connected Britain with its colonies and former colonies around the world, including South Africa, India, and Australia.

The plaque shows an Empire Flying Boat and was unveiled at Poole Museum, the current occupant of the building which hosted the airline's headquarters.

It was gifted by local heritage charity Poole Flying Boats Celebration which aims to raise awareness of Poole's civil and military flying-boat heritage.

The large natural harbour became home to the flying boats when they moved from Southampton where the risk of air raids was greater.

The blue plaque was unveiled at Poole Museum which occupies BOAC's former headquarters