Hawker Hurricane back in city to mark heroism of Free French pilot

The Yorkshire Air Museum will once again bring the Hawker Hurricane fighter into St Sampson’s Square as it did in October last year for an event to honour French airmen stationed in the region during the Second World War.

This morning the Hurricane was due to be brought into the square by heavy loaders and lifting machines and assembled by a team of around 10 staff from the Aircraft Engineering Department of the Yorkshire Air Museum, at Elvington.

The Hurricane will carry the emblem of No. 341 Squadron also known in French as Groupe de Chasse n° 3/2 “Alsace”, and was a Free French Squadron which fought as part of the RAF during the Battle of Britain and thereafter.

York was saved from further damage in the Baedeker Raid by the intervention of lone French fighter pilot Yves Mahe, flying a 253 Squadron Hawker Hurricane, who saw the city ablaze and dived in to chase off the marauding bombers, causing them to take flight from the scene.

An accompanying exhibition will highlight the damage caused to the city on that fateful night of April 29, 1942.

This afternoon, the Hurricane and the accompanying exhibition, will also be welcomed into the city by the Lord Mayor of York, Coun David Horton and the Sheriff of York, Coun Alan Deller.

The fighter will be at St Sampson’s Square, until Sunday.