A FILM telling the “forgotten story” of the French aircrews based at Elvington, near York, during the Second World War has won “best film” at an international award ceremony.

De Lourds Souvenirs was co-produced by the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington and is the story of Colonel Andre Guedez, now aged 91, who was one of only two survivors after his Halifax Bomber was shot down over Germany on the night of Christmas Eve, 1944.

Instead of meeting his English girlfriend for Christmas celebrations in York on his night off, he and his crew found themselves in a desperate situation over the heavily defended Ruhr region of Germany. His plane was hit several times and he fell out of the plane unconscious, to find later that he was one of only two survivors and most of his crew mates had been shot.

Mr Guedez returned to York in October last year as part of the French In York festival, where the film was premiered.

On Wednesday evening, the film saw off competition from 40 other entries from around the world to take the top award at The Imperial War Museum Film Awards.

Ian Reed, Yorkshire Air Museum director, was at the ceremony along with director Genevieve Monneris, who is also Mr Guedez’s daughter.

“I think this is a tremendous acknowledgement of the French air crews during the war, “ said Mr Reed. “It’s a story which is very little known, but I think thanks to the events in October is becoming more widely recognised.

“We will be showing it every day at Elvington, and now it’s won an international award I hope it will go on to win more.”

Mr Reed said two French squadrons were based in Elvington during the war and about 2500 personnel. The heavy bomber crews who flew missions out of Elvington lost half of their members during action.