FALLEN servicemen and women will be honoured this weekend as Remembrance Services take place across the region.

Among those who will be remembered is Bernard Aldred, of Selby, who died while serving in the Second World War.

His brother Bill Aldred, of Brayton, has always remembered Bernard but did not know many details about his death until recently.

Now Bill has a photograph of a permanent memorial to his brother which was unveiled recently in Holland at the site where he died.

Bernard was one of five sons of Albert and Hilda Aldred who lived in Selby. Four of their sons served in the war in the Army and RAF; Bill was unable to serve because he had polio.

Bernard worked as a farm hand at Quosquo Hall and Burton Hall for Webster Brothers and Huddlestones respectively.

Then, when he was 18, he volunteered to join the RAF but three years into his service as a rear gunner he was killed when the Lancaster Bomber JB603, named “Take It Easy”, was returning from one of its 104 bombing sorties over Hanover in Germany.

The Lancaster was hit by enemy fire over Holland and seven crew perished.

Until four years ago details of the crash were sketchy, then Bill and other members of his family received letters from Paul Kern, in Sussex, asking if they were relatives of Bernard.

Paul was a son of a former ground crew member who serviced the Lancaster at Waltham near Grimsby. Bill replied to the letter and Paul compiled a book about the plane and its crew, including photographs of the memorial unveiling in Holland.

Bill and members of his family attended the unveiling ceremony and have also visited his grave in a churchyard near the crash site.

Bill said: “The memorial brings Bernard’s short life to a fitting end and the family appreciate all that has been done, particularly by Paul Kern to create the memorial.”