FUTURE QUEEN: HRH Princess Elizabeth celebrated her 20th birthday

FUTURE QUEEN: HRH Princess Elizabeth celebrated her 20th birthday

The Mercury also published a series of photos of her majesty visiting Bertram Mills’ Circus in Reading, along with her sister HRH Princess Margaret.

The Mercury headline announced: “Princesses at the Circus” and described how thrilled the hundreds of people in the audience were to see the royal party arrive- the first visit to a big top since the end of WWII.

ROYAL VISITORS: Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret visted a circus

ROYAL VISITORS: Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret visted a circus

A solemn prophecy that the Royal Berkshire Regiment was in danger of ‘going under’ was made by the Colonel of the Regiment 75 years ago, after a dramatic slump in new recruits.

Major General R.J. Collins made the appeal at the annual meeting of the Old Comrades’ Association in Brock Barracks, Reading: “I want to appeal to all of you to do all you can to alter that state of affairs by getting our young men into the county regiment.”

General Collins continued: “Let us try and get Berkshire boys taught and trained by Berkshire officers, some of our young men are not suitable for the training of youth.”

WE NEED YOU: The Berkshire’s had a recruitment crisis in 1946

WE NEED YOU: The Berkshire’s had a recruitment crisis in 1946

The proposal to site a sewage treatment works near Gatehampton Ferry, Goring, was causing ‘a bit of a stink’ and the Mercury published a stunning photo of the local beauty spot, just as an inquiry was held in Goring village hall.

The need for a sewerage scheme had been stressed by local health officials as far back as 1898, but the plans never came to fruition, a site was chosen in 1939, but was interrupted by the second world war.

CAUSING A STINK: Goring needed a new sewerage plant

CAUSING A STINK: Goring needed a new sewerage plant

A former Battle of Britain pilot, Wing Commander F.A Whitehouse, was pictured in the Mercury with his wife Sylvia and eleven-month-old son, Anthony, before they set off on the trip of a lifetime.

Standing alongside his tiny Auster aircraft, the Wing Commander explained that he could not arrange a sea passage to take them to Uganda, to take up his new job with a firm of exporters.

He also admitted to the media gathering: "This 4,700-mile flight will be no joy-ride, if I could have got my wife and child to Africa any other way I would have, we both feel that any discomfort is better than further separation.”

OUT OF AFRICA: A Battle of Britain pilot took off from Woodley

OUT OF AFRICA: A Battle of Britain pilot took off from Woodley

Many local Scout groups travelled to the Three Counties’ Rally near Oxford in 1946, the first to be held after the war, and took a chance to meet the Chief Scout, Lord Rowallan.

As head of the worldwide movement, Lord Rowallan served until 1959, and was responsible for encouraging its post-war growth in Canada, Africa and Australasia.

WE’LL DO OUR BEST: The Chief Scout met local groups at Oxford

WE’LL DO OUR BEST: The Chief Scout met local groups at Oxford