RAF Honington aviators attended the annual East Wretham Memorial Service to pay tribute to many personnel lost during World War Two Operations.
Organised by the Thetford & District Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association, the Service is always held on the Wednesday prior to Remembrance Sunday to remember those lost whilst flying form the East Wretham airfield in World War Two.
12 Czechoslovak and 2 Polish airmen are laid to rest in the Commonwealth War Graves Plot at St Ethelbert’s Church. No 311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF was formed at RAF Honington on 29 July 1940 and moved to East Wretham in September 1940. As a Bomber and latterly a Coastal Command Squadron, 311 Squadron flew over 3000 sorties in World War Two and sank several enemy vessels in the fight against the German U-Boat and surface fleet. One of the most noteworthy actions being the sinking of the German blockade runner Alsterufer in the Bay of Biscay.
Officer Commanding Support Wing, Wing Commander English, was honoured to lay a Station Wreath alongside Czech Defence Attaché Brigadier General Vratislav Beran, Slovak Defence Attaché, Colonel Vladimir Stolárik, and Polish Defence Attaché, Colonel Mieczyslaw Malec.
Officer Commanding Force Protection Centre, Wing Commander Ben Alcock welcomed the Czech and Slovak Defence Attaches back to RAF Honington to lay a wreath at the 311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron Memorial which was officially commemorated in July 2020 to recognise the 80th anniversary of its founding.
A total of 273 311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron personnel lost their lives; one of the highest loss rates across the RAF Squadrons in World War Two.
