14/10/2011

Issued by Yorkshire Air Museum

The City of York is getting ready to host the ‘French in York Week' 17 - 23 October.
A celebration and commemoration of the French airmen based in York, who fought with RAF Bomber Command in WWII, spearheaded by the Yorkshire Air Museum and the nation's Allied Air Forces Memorial, this is a series of events and activities throughout the City, culminating in the inauguration of a permanent stone memorial in the fabric of York Minster in memory of the French airmen who gave their lives in the fight against tyranny.
Press opportunities include:

- 6:00am/7:00am Monday 17 October A Hawker Hurricane in Free French colours is delivered by high lift crane to St Helen's Square, York city centre.
- 4.30pm Tuesday 18 October French war veterans arrive at York Station to be met by the Right Honourable, the Lord Mayor of York, Councillor David Horton.

- 1:00pm Wednesday 19th October. French veterans return to their old base at Elvington. The largest original RAF Bomber Command Station open to the public in Britain. They re-visit the Halifax bomber complete in French colours - the only surviving example.

- 2:30pm Wednesday 19th October. Over 100 French veterans and their families plus 80 local Primary School children take part in a Remembrance Service at the outdoor French Memorial in Elvington - Children and veterans lay wreaths.

- 11:00am York Minster, 20 October, guests arrive to attend the Memorial Service for the inauguration of the memorial.

- 12.30pm York Minster South Door. Salute taken by Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton KCB, BSc, FRAes, RAF; Chief of the French Air Force, Général Jean-Paul Palomeros, Bernard Émié Ambassador of France to the United Kingdom, with Air Vice Marshal R Pentland, Chaplain in Chief, Royal Air Force; Rear Admiral Charles-Edouard de Coriolis, French Defence Attache and Mr Laurent Burin des Roziers - French Cultural Attache and other senior members of the UK and French government and other senior diplomatic, military and civic leaders. For photo opportunities and general press enquiries on this event - please contact Kendra Grahame-Clarke or Sarah Gough at Kendra PR.

- 12:30pm Parade by Royal Air Force units (including 100 Squadron); veterans associations and Air Training Corps, plus unique Anglo/French flypast including Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster Bomber, 4 Rafale French fighters direct from operations in Libya, 4 French Air Force Xingu Embraer and a nine-ship Tucano formation from RAF Linton-On-Ouse. One of the largest flypasts over York for many years.

For more information and arrangements, please contact Kendra Grahame-Clarke or Sarah Gough at Kendra PR at 01904 234 752 or 07910 214474. Kendra@kendrapr.co.uk or Sarah@kendrapr.co.uk. Ian Richardson, Communications Manager, Yorkshire Air Museum on 01904 608595.

ENDS