A small flag raising ceremony to mark 100 years of the Royal Air Force was held at Eastern Gardens in Ryde on Sunday morning.
A group of people representing RAF Veterans, the Royal British Legion and uniformed youth groups gathered.
Among those present was Mr Ellison Withe, whose great grandfather, A.H. Thompson, fought at the Battle of the Somme in World War 1. Thompson was wounded and gassed during the infamous battle but later went on to join the RAF. He was selected to fly night bombers but sadly on the 7th September 1918 he and his co-pilot were killed during a night time training exercise.
After the RAF ensign was raised, the RAF prayer was read by Mr Eric Chestnutt and Mr Withe laid a wreath at the flag pole in memory of his grandfather. After the ceremony, the wreath was taken up to the war memorial in Lind Street.
The Royal British Legion standard carried by Mr Peter Atkinson dipped in an act of homage and the Exhortation and Kohima Epitaph were said by Mr Terry Clarkson, the RBL Ryde Branch Chairman.
