A Masterton World War II veteran pilot is seeking community support this week to commemorating the Battle of Britain - as veterans like himself are becoming fewer each year.
Flight Lieutenant Ian Sutherland DFC, a member of the Air Force Association, is sending out an invitation to a Battle of Britain
ceremony at the Masterton cenotaph next Wednesday, the 70th anniversary of that air struggle.
Mr Sutherland said his memory of day-to-day events is not as good as it used to be, but his wartime experiences were still crystal clear.
Mr Sutherland is looking for greater interest while veterans are still alive.
"The numbers are dwindling, and we want support," Mr Sutherland said. "It might be the last one; I'll still be going."
The ceremony, to be held at the Masterton Cenotaph at 3pm, will feature a wreath laid by the Air Force Association, and young and old will also have a chance to place a sprig of rosemary, the herb of remembrance, alongside.
Mr Sutherland, a Lancaster bomber pilot, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for "gallantry during active operations against the enemy".
The medal was a result of "nothing in particular - a whole series of exploits," Mr Sutherland said, "staggering home with bits missing".
The cenotaph ceremony will feature a guard of honour from the Air Training Corps, an organisation Mr Sutherland much admires.
"Those kids are absolutely amazing, their discipline, their presentation, their military precision," he said.
Flying Officer Karen Stevens (Nzcf) of the Air Training Corps No 21 Squadron, yesterday also encouraged people to attend. "It never hurts to remember the people whose actions mean you can now live the way you do."
