SERVICEMEN and women past and present gathered in Sheffield to mark the 90th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Air Force - and to honour those who have lost their lives in battle.The proud men and women marched to Barker's Pool in the city centre yesterday, stopping for wreaths to be laid while only the stirring sounds of the Last Post and Reveille could be heard during a respectful silence.
Members of the Armed Services stood shoulder to shoulder with their heads held high remembering their experiences of war, the comrades who lost their lives and those serving their country in conflicts today.
The event was organised to mark the 90th anniversary of the formation of the RAF and to commemorate the role it and other armed services played in the Battle of Britain and Battle of Arnhem.
Gordon Unsworth, aged 72, chairman and secretary of the Sheffield branch of the Royal Air Forces Association, said: "It was to pay tribute to those who were involved in battles against those who threatened the freedom of our country and those of our allies.
"It is important that we remember that the freedom we have today comes because of sacrifices made by others. In the Battle of Britain for example 550 British airforcemen died.
"We are getting older and there are fewer of us each time we have parades but we will continue because it is important for us to remember and to keep the sacrifices made in the minds of others.
Tarn Lass
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