FORMER and current service personnel from several countries marked two centenaries at the annual Allied Air Forces Memorial Day in Elvington.

They remembered the end of the First World War in 1918 and 100 years of the Royal Air Force.

Thirty standards of national and regional UK service associations with that of the Souvenir Français, the French Services Remembrance association, were on display during the day of remembrance at the Yorkshire Air Museum that also included a parade led by the Yorkshire Military Marching Band and Corps of Drums.

Several defence and air force attaches from embassies in the UK attended, representing today’s governments of the wartime Allies and countries occupied by the Axis powers, as did Deputy Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Capt Stephen Upright RN, representing the Queen, and other local civic dignitaries.

The congregation at the commemoration drumhead service,held in the Memorial Hangar, sat next to two First World War bi-planes, the AVRO 504 and Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c (Blériot Experimental), which supported RAF Centenary celebrations in Paris (L’Hotel Les Invalides) and London (Horse Guards Parade) respectively in May and July this year.

The service was led by Yorkshire Air Museum Honorary Chaplain, Rev Charles “Taff” Morgan MBE and Rev (Squadron Leader) Richards Clement, Padre to RAF Leeming.

The Chief of the Air Staff was represented by Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty, commander of the Air Training Corps, who met air cadets from 2434 Church Fenton Squadron and 168 City of Leeds Squadron.

The day concluded with fly-pasts and the sunset ceremony.