Air force casualties who gave their lives during the Second World War will be highlighted and honoured at a North Yorkshire cemetery this weekend.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) will be hosting Harrogate International Partnership’s Anzac Day Ceremony at Stonefall Cemetery, Harrogate, on Sunday (April 23).
The ceremony is to honour the Second World War casualties from the Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) who are buried at the site.
The Anzac Day Ceremony has been organised by Kate Spencer who looks after the twinning between Harrogate and Wellington for Harrogate International Partnerships.
She said: “As a New Zealander, our day of commemoration for those who fell in both World Wars is on the April 25 each year.
The history of Anzac Day stems from the landings of 16,000 Australian and New Zealand forces on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey, now referred to as Anzac Cove, on April 25, 1915.
"Together with allied forces, more than 100,000 lives were lost in that campaign. A year ago I organised our first Anzac Day commemoration and I feel so privileged to be preparing once again to honour not only my New Zealand countrymen buried in Stonefall, but also 97 Australians who gave their young lives in the service of their countries."
Harrogate International Partnerships has been twinned with the New Zealand capital of Wellington since 1953, with the New Zealand Garden that lies within Valley Gardens, a tribute to those Kiwi airmen buried at Stonefall.
With more than 1,000 Commonwealth war graves, Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery is one of the largest CWGC sites in the North.
The majority of burials are airmen who died during the Second World War when bomber command bases were established across Yorkshire. There are 97 Royal Australian Air Force and 23 Royal New Zealand Air Force servicemen buried at the site.
The ceremony will highlight more than 100 casualties who were serving with the Australian and New Zealand Air Forces including Pilot Officer Alfred Churchill Lockyer of the RNZAF.
Lockyer, aged 23 and from Wellington, was piloting a Lancaster bomber on a night-time training flight in March 1945 when the crew was told to douse their lights due to an air raid warning in Hull.
A Luftwaffe twin-engined aircraft appeared behind the Lancaster and attacked them. Lockyer managed to evade the first three attacks by performing a corkscrew but the final attack hit the rear and a fire broke out.
Just off the coast of Withernsea, Lockyer ordered the crew to bail out. Sadly, only one member of the crew of seven survived.
This Lancaster is believed to be the last Allied bomber to be shot down by the Luftwaffe over the United Kingdom.
The ceremony will see representation from both the Australian and New Zealand High Commission as well as the Mayor and Mayoress of Harrogate and Andrew Jones MP.
The music will be provided by Harrogate Band and a pupil from Harrogate Grammar School will sing the New Zealand national anthem in both Maori and English.
Members of the public are invited to attend the ceremony which will take place in the war graves plot adjacent to Forest Lane.
Parking is available in the cemetery car park off Forest Lane. Member of the public are invited to gather from 12.30pm. The ceremony will commence at 1pm.
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