MORE than 70 veterans gathered at the annual reunion of a society dedicated to those who helped people escape from wartime peril.

French, Belgian, Dutch, Canadian, Australian and American members of the Escape Lines Memorial Society (Elms), gathered at the Yorkshire Air Musem, near York.

The members were mainly Second World War veterans.

A number of the 22-strong French contingent operated from the museum’s Elvington base in 1945.

During the visit, a memorial bench to those who assisted the escapees was dedicated by the Elms’ padre, along with a rose and plaque in memory of Flying Officer Albert Day, of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

He was an “Evader” on the Belgian escape line in 1941 and returned to England to fight.

Members of his family came from Canada to attend this ceremony.

Elms is a non-political society dedicated to the individuals and helpers of the escape lines who assisted allied escapers and evaders in the Second World War.

It aims to foster relationships between nations and second and third generation escaper, evader and helper families.

A museum spokesman said: “It has been a very good day, with lots of reminiscing and friendships strengthened and renewed, showing the importance of the work of the society in keeping alive the service that those people who set up the escape lines gave to allied servicemen.”

To complement the gathering of escapees, London-based Grub Street Publishing has released a book, RAF Evaders, by Elms member Oliver Clutton- Brock.

The book charts the formation of these organisations, mostly voluntarily and at great personal risk, that assisted thousands of Allied airmen and others escape the vast area of occupied territory and benefits from the author’s in depth research into this secret world of evasion.