YOUNGSTERS from a York primary school were among the first to see a city-centre exhibition telling the story of the York Blitz.

Pupils from St Wilfrid’s RC School in Monkgate wrote to the Lord Mayor of York asking for a permanent memorial to be set up after learning about French fighter pilot Yves Mahé who played a pivotal role in defending the city against the Germans during the Baedeker Raid.

And on the 71st anniversary of the raid, the pupils were invited along when Lord Mayor opened an exhibition in St Sampson’s Square featuring the Yorkshire Air Museum’s Hawker Hurricane fighter – similar to that flown by M Mahé – along with a series of panels about the raid.

On the night of the raids M Mahé, serving with the RAF’s 253 Squadron, shot down a Heinkel bomber before turning his sights on a JU88 bomber. The other German bombers, then decided it was time to leave. It was believed, they had been lining up to attack Rowntree’s main factory which contained a secret ammunition filling area containing hundreds of tons of high explosive.

M Mahé joined the French airforce after the war, and died in 1962, aged 42, flying a jet in Belgium.The exhibition will remain in St Sampson’s Square until Sunday.