RON GODFREY discovers the nostalgic French connection which hopes to lure 5,000 people to York and Elvington in October.

TOP French politicians, diplomats, military chiefs and war veterans will be among 5,000 people expected to converge on York in October in one of Britain’s biggest gestures of entente cordial.

Among those invited are the French President Nicholas Sarkozy and the Prime Minister, Francois Fillot.

The event, the French In York Week, is the celebration of the 66th anniversary since the two French squadrons based at Elvington in the Second World War returned home to become the air force of the liberated French Republic.

A commemorative service at York Minster on October 17 will be followed by a fly-past of nine aircraft from RAF Linton, with the possibility of being accompanied by Rafale jets from the French Air Force.

It will be the cue for a host of exhibitions and conferences at the Elvington Air base over the following three days.

The celebrations will include a screening at the Tempest Anderson Hall in York’s Museum Gardens of a propaganda film about Elvington made by the French Government in exile in 1944; and the premiere at York’s City Screen of Flightpaths – the true story of the tragic relationship between secret British agent Pat Martin and her ill-fated French husband, Henri, an Elvington-based rear gunner.

Hotels are bracing themselves for an autumn bonanza as Visit York launches a website for French visitors to find accommodation.

The event is the brainchild of Ian Reed, director of the Yorkshire Air Museum on the original 20-acre Elvington airfield, who has already won the co-operation of Christophe Desplanches, the French economic development attaché and Vincent Thomassier, the French defence procurement attaché.

The event should generate £200,000 for the York economy. “I always thought that York was missing a trick when it came to building that special relationship we have with France,” says Ian.

Recalling bomber squadrons that flew out of Elvington

THEY were a strange band of men, united in their grim task of bombing their own country; bonded by bravery and unyielding patriotism.

And there was a united pride in being members of 346 “Guyenne” Squadron and 347 “Tunisie” Squadron – the only French Air Force heavy bomber squadrons of the allied air forces during the Second World War.

Wriggle through the narrow iron corridor of one of their Halifax bombers (keeping your head clear of sharp metal objects) and look at the tiny bubble of space into which the rear gunner had to manouevre and you get a vague sense of their intense claustrophobia amid certain danger.

Then imagine how they felt as they attacked enemy gun positions on the coast of Normandy on the night of June 5, 1944, preparing the way for the D-Day invasion, or obliterating the V-Weapon site at Mont Candon on June 27.

But at last they took the war to the enemy’s home, both squadrons taking part in the Battle of the Ruhr and the Battle of Berlin.

Until finally, after a huge farewell, the men waving from the roof of Elvington’s control tower they boarded their giant flying beasts to form the core of the new French Air Force and fly in triumph over a liberated Paris en route to their new base in Bordeaux.

In their 2,834 sorties they had dropped 8,621 tonnes of bombs and ferried 165,725 gallons of petrol to the 2nd Army in Brussels.

And forever afterwards, Elvington had a special place in their minds and hearts. It was home from home... a fact carved deep into the consciousness of future generations of Frenchmen.

York Press: AMOUR is in the air, as is clear from this picture taken in York in wartime – but who are they? AMOUR is in the air, as is clear from this picture taken in York in wartime – but who are they?

A French caption to this image suggests that the dashing Gallic airman from Elvington is wooing a former proprietress of Bettys Tearooms in St Helen’s Square.

Not so, according to the Bettys archivist Sarah Wells.

The elegant English rose is certainly not Claire Belmont, the wife of Fredserick Belmont, the owner at the time. Sarah says: “Sadly we have no information on the very glamorous lady. Bettys in York was very popular during the war, and we’re sure that many airmen courted their future brides in the tearoom.

“If anyone has any memories of the branch during the wear – including the lady in the picture – we’d love to hear from them.”

Identities my not be clear but these two people and the disdainful dog are soon to become the iconic image of The French in York Week.

A modern picture of the couple has been recreated with Jessie Gillick, Alex Roberts and Zak, a border terrier posing for the scene.

Costumes worn are originals from the era, with his uniform supplied by the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington and her early 1940s outfit loaned from York Theatre Royal.

York Press: A modern picture of the couple has been recreated with Jessie Gillick, Alex Roberts and Zak, a border terrier posing for the scene.

York Press: Captain Marchal HIS NAME was Captain Marchal, based at Elvington, and he was a rough, tough French pilot with a romantic moustache. The creature he holds is the unimaginatively named Lapin, equally as rough, tough and war-weathered.

Lapin was the living embodiment of the Guyenne squadron’s white rabbit insignia – a mascot for the men, but not a pet of the pampered kind.

Lapin would often become a flying rabbit – taken on bomb-running missions in a basket over France by Capt Marchal. Together they endured the shudders of flak and the staccato pinging of bullets from German night fighters – Warriors both.

Lapin proved to be the captain’s lucky charm. He survived 30 missions in Halifax bombers.

He even survived the horrific explosion at Elvington when one bomb fell during the loading procedure in 1944, destroying his Halifax and taking the lives of five ground personnel. Lapin was unscathed.