16th May 2024

A memorial service was held at the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington near York to mark the 80th year anniversary of the deployment of two French Heavy Bomber Squadrons at RAF Elvington in 1944.

Those attending the service included delegates from the French Embassy, the French Air Force, the RAF, the City of York Civic Party, the York Alliance Francaise, and the York-Dijon Twinning Group.

The service was followed by the opening of an exhibition “Elvington 44/45 -The Fight for Liberty” which focuses on the 18-month period from just before D-Day to VE-Day and considers the contribution made by aircraft at Elvington including those of the two French Squadrons to the allied war effort.

Emeritus Professor Chris Kyriacou Chair, York-Dijon Twinning Group