AN HISTORIC biplane which stalked the skies above the battlefields of the First World War is to leave its home at the Yorkshire Air Museum to commemorate the Battle of the Somme in France.
The AVRO 504 will form part of the display at the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy, northern France, on July 1, after it was taken to the display following a grant of £9,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Ian Reed, museum director, said: “The Allied Air Forces Memorial and Yorkshire Air Museum is deeply honoured to have been invited to represent the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Services on the launch day of the Commemorations of the Battle of the Somme, in France.
“We owe a great debt to those young men of 1916.”
Following the commemoration, the plane will return to the Elvington museum to go on display for 141 days - the same length of time soldiers fought the Battle of the Somme.
The AVRO 504 came into service in 1914 and was the main training aircraft for the RAF from 1918 onwards.
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