The Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, England, has announced that more than 40 descendants of WWII veterans gathered at the museum on Saturday, October 3, to remember family members who served with RAF 77 Squadron when it was based at the site between 1942 and 1944. RAF 77 Squadron flew Halifax bombers from Elvington before moving to RAF Full Sutton, a few miles away. The squadron suffered heavy losses during the war, with many aircrew members killed in action or taken prisoner. The gathering, organized by the 77 Squadron Association, included a service in the museum’s chapel and a ceremony at the squadron memorial. The visit also gave descendants the chance to learn more about their relatives’ wartime service and the aircraft they flew.
Some attendees climbed inside the museum’s Halifax bomber to see where their family members had carried out their missions. Others joined a special behind-the-scenes tour led by Sarah Maultby, the museum’s collections manager. She showed visitors items from the museum’s collection, including hundreds of logbooks, photographs, memoirs and uniforms. Neil Bosher, the 77 Squadron Association’s honorary treasurer, traveled from Devon for the gathering. He emphasized the importance of remembering the young men who served with the squadron, which included personnel from across the Allied nations. “The Squadron, which comprised young men from all the Allied nations Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders, as well as UK volunteers, suffered horrific losses at that time. And it’s important to remember them,” Bosher said. For more information and to support the Yorkshire Air Museum, click on this link: yorkshireairmuseum.org.
