Redbridge remembers: Borough’s commemorations for Armistice and Remembrance days

School pupils, veterans and residents across the borough will pause at 11am this morning to pay their respects to men and women who have died while serving in the armed forces.

The Recorder will be at today’s service at Fairlop Waters Country Park, Forest Road, Barkingside, honouring those pilots from Argentina and Norway who gave their lives fighting for the UK during both world wars.

The ceremony, taking place at 11 o’clock, has traditionally honoured different nationalities who flew from Fairlop each year.

While Norway’s wartime links with Great Britain are well known, the 164 Argentine-British Squadron also used Fairlop as a base to target German missile sites in northern France, using Hurricane Mk VIs during the Second World War.

Three pilots died while flying these missions, and they will be in the thoughts of all those present at today’s memorial service.

Pupils from the nearby John Bramston Primary School, Newcastle Avenue, Hainault, will also be taking part in the service.

Michaela Pile and Sopna Soosaibenadict will read their own remembrance poems at the event after winning a school-wide poetry competition.