Wartime American band leader Glenn Miller played his last gig in Oxfordshire before setting off on a plane journey which ended with him drowning in the English Channel.

The story of his last concert, and his connections with Berinsfield, will be told by retired teacher and local historian Mary Tame, in the library on Wednesday.

Her talk will form part of the celebrations marking Berinsfield's 50th anniversary.

The village is located on what was once RAF Mount Farm, a satellite of RAF Benson, used to train bomber pilots.

It was later taken over by the Americans, who used it as a reconnaissance base, and it was from there that such stars as Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour and Glenn Miller took off to entertain the troops in occupied Europe.

Glenn Miller, famous for such enduring standards as Little Brown Jug, In The Mood, Pennsylvania 65000 and Chattanooga Choo-Choo, performed for the Americans at the base in December 1944.

From there he went to RAF Twinwood, boarded a Norseman UC-64 single-engined aircraft for a trip to Paris - and was never heard of again.

His plane is believed to have ditched in the Channel - although 20 years ago there was a belief he may have crash-landed in the dense Chiltern woodlands.

Searches found no trace of the aircraft.

At Ms Tame's talk, a photograph will be unveiled in the library of George Lawson, the last American commanding officer at Mount Farm airfield.

After the war, the former Bullingdon Rural District Council decided to build a new village - the first in England for 200 years - to be called after St Berin.

The word 'field' was added because the Americans called their base an airfield - and Berinsfield was born, with the first people moving in 50 years ago this month.

County councillor Jim Couchman, cabinet member for social and community services, said: "I hope this talk will be well attended.

"Berinsfield has a very interesting history and I am sure many people will want to learn more about the events of 50 years ago."

The events starts at 7pm.

Another event to mark the 50th anniversary of the village takes place on Sunday.

The Archdeacon of Oxford, the Ven Julian Hubbard, will dedicate a new clock, bought by the parish council, on the steeple of the parish church of St Mary and St Berin in an outdoor service at 11am.