FIREFIGHTERS and US airmen will be among the people in the Swindon area organising events to commemorate tomorrow's first anniversary of Septem-ber 11.

For Swindon's firefighters the event day will be particularly poignant.

Not only did more than 300 firemen die when the World Trade Centre collapsed after the terrorist attacks, but several Swindon fire crew knew the dead officers per-sonally after visiting New York on a working holiday just a few months before.

Crews at Swindon stations plan to observe a private minute's silence at 1.34pm the moment when the first airliner crashed into the World Trade Centre.

A delegation of Swindon firemen are also planning to travel to New York in October for an official memorial event being organised at Madison Square Garden.

Station officer Pete Townsend was among the group of three Swindon officers to travel to New York in April last year.

He said: "It will be emotional time. Personally I find it difficult to watch the pictures on TV now.

"I am looking forward the Madison Square Garden event now I think only after that will we really have closure."

The 170 US air crew based at RAF Fairford have planned a day-long commem-oration to mark the anni-versary.

It will start at 7am with reveille and the lighting of a special memorial flame.

Throughout the day the flame will be watched by an honour guard which will be changed on the hour.

In the afternoon some 100 service personnel are expected to attend a service at the base chapel along with members of the congregation from Fairford Church.

The day will conclude with the lowering of the Stars and Stripes and the extinguishing of the flame at 5pm.

Because of the continuing security measures at the base none of the ceremonies will be open to the public.

Swindon Council is holding a one-minute silence tomorrow to mark the anni-versary.

Swindon churches will be saying special prayers for the 3,000 September 11 dead and their families.

A service will be held at Holy Rood Catholic church at 8am.

Parishioners have also been invited to light candles for the deceased.

And at Christ Church in Old Town a service will be held at 10.30am with special prayers.