War heroes will be remembered at a series of services throughout the North-East and North Yorkshire this week.

Among those to be honoured are 35 airmen who were either killed or captured when a bombing mission over industrial Germany turned to tragedy. Hannah Chapman tells the story of one of the most disastrous nights in the history of RAF Elvington, near York

SIXTY years ago, French air crews from a North base set out on a bombing mission to attack the heartland of German industry.

By the end of the night, five aircraft had been lost and 35 men were either killed or had been captured.

It was one of the bloodiest nights in the history of RAF Elvington, near York, and will be commemorated at two services on Remembrance Sunday, among dozens being held in the region.

RAF Elvington is now home to the Yorkshire Air Museum, but in the Second World War, it was one of the many Yorkshire airbases of Bomber Command.

In May 1944, it was transformed into what became known as Le Petit France, home to nearly 2,000 French mechanics, armourers, intelligence officers and airmen.

Many of the original air crews were escapees, who had fled France across the Mediterranean to Algeria in 1940, where they joined forces with the Allies. In 1943, they helped attack Rommel's retreating Afrika Korps, flying obsolete Leo 45 aircraft.

Shortly after this, it was decided by the French Air Ministry that the French Air Force should be re-organised and split into two parts to serve with the British and US air forces.

On May 16, 1944, 346 Guyenne Squadron was officially formed at RAF Elvington.

The station became a small French community and adopted its own mascot, a white rabbit, which became part of the Guyenne Squadron insignia.

Just two weeks after being formed, 346 Squadron was called into action on June 1 for an operation in support of the imminent D-Day landings.

Twelve aircraft helped to make up a combined force of 110 bombers to attack a strategically important radio station at Ferme d'Urville, near Cherbourg.

It was completely destroyed and all of the 346 Squadron aircraft returned safely.

On June 20, Guyenne Squadron was joined by 347 Tunisie Squadron and, from then on, the Groupes Lourdes (Heavy Groups) took the offensive to key areas of German industry.

It was on the night of November 4 when 27 aircraft from Elvington joined the attack on the steel producing town of Bochum, deep in the Ruhr Valley.

The aircraft from Guyenne Squadron were in the final wave of the 15-squadron attack and came under intense attack by fighters and anti-aircraft guns.

Five planes were lost, 24 crewmen were killed and 11 were captured as prisoners of war.

Sixty years on, the attack will be commemorated at Remembrance Day services on Sunday.

Wreaths, bearing an insert depicting the insignia of the two French Squadrons, will be laid at the French Memorial in Elvington village, and at the Yorkshire Air Museum.

The French Government will be represented at the services by Capitaine Herve Lardy, while veteran Paul Jacquemier, of Belper, Derbyshire, will attend on behalf of the French Squadrons and the Groupes Lourdes Association.

The public service at the French Memorial in Elvington Village takes place at 11am, followed at 12.30pm by the Service in the Yorkshire Air Museum Chapel.

Museum director Ian Reed said: "We are proud to continue this unique French connection with York, and Elvington in particular. The 2,000 young French airmen who lived in our locality, many of whom knew York as their last home, will be honoured on Sunday."

The French Squadrons flew their last mission from Elvington on April 25, 1945. In daylight, they silenced the once formidable gun batteries at Wangerooge, which protected the entrance to the harbours of Bremen and Wilhelmshaven.

On the same day, Americans and Russians met on the Elbe and Hitler's alpine retreat at Berchtesgaden was destroyed. He committed suicide the next day.

When the war was over, the squadrons returned to France to be the basis of the new French Armee de l'Air.

The French veterans formed an association, the Amicale des Anciens des Groupes Lourdes.

A memorial was unveiled in Elvington in 1957 and, since then, there have been regular gatherings of the French veterans.

Earlier this year, on the 60th anniversary of the formation of the French Squadrons, a unique rebuilt Halifax Mk III bomber owned by the museum was repainted to incorporate the markings of 346 Guyenne Squadron.