Elvington Entente Entente Cordiale - not a ‘just-add-water’ soft drink but a long-standing agreement between France and Britain.
Monday April 8 was the 120th anniversary of this important pact/military cooperation. To mark the occasion the changing-of-the-guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace was performed jointly by elite soldiers from the two nations.
Meanwhile at the Élysée Palace in Paris the equivalent French ceremony was carried out in similar fashion with both countries represented.
The Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington provides tangible evidence of this Entente.
Only last Thursday, April 4, the Museum welcomed a former French Air Force fast jet pilot whose flying log book included the actual Mirage 3E aircraft on show at Elvington!
His remarkable career included three dire flying emergencies where he had to eject from his stricken machines.
Two words spring to mind; ‘lucky’ and ‘alive’.
The retired officer’s father had flown missions from Elvington in Halifax bombers in WW2.
To celebrate this red letter day a dramatic picture of two Mirage jets was presented to the visitor, simulating an actual two-ship Armée de l’Air Mirage fly past over Elvington about thirty years ago.
The very fitting title of this picture by Brian Gaunt of Leeds is ‘Elvington Entente’.
Derek Reed, Middlethorpe Drive, York
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