Queen Commemorates 60th Anniversary of First Cross of Sacrifice

|PIC1|Her Majesty the Queen has laid a wreath in remembrance of the 60th anniversary of the unveiling of the first Cross of Sacrifice to be completed after World War II.

It was the Queen's father, King George VI, who first unveiled the memorial cross at St Mary's Church, Great Bircham near Sandringham, Norfolk 6 decades ago.

On 14 July 1946 the 20-year-old Princess Elizabeth joined her father in a Norfolk country churchyard as he unveiled Britain's first Cross of Sacrifice to remember servicemen who died in the Second World War.

And the Queen returned to the 14th century St Mary's Church at Great Bircham, near Fakenham, to join about 500 people for an emotional service to mark the 60th anniversary of the original ceremony led by King George VI.|TOP|

The churchyard has been used to bury airmen from local RAF stations, including Bircham Newton.

The burial site is cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and contains 66 Commonwealth and 11 German war graves.

The Queen spoke to the families about their loved ones who died in the conflict and she told how she recalled staying at Sandringham during the war and hearing the air crews flying out and returning from bombing missions.

|AD|The Queen also met relatives of Royal Navy leading seaman Brian Briston, who lived at Bircham, who was torpedoed, RAF petty officer Herbert Ballantyne, whose niece used to work at the local school, and RAF flying officer Featherstone.

The service of commemoration was led by Rector the Reverend Andrew Butcher, and gathered several hundred people, as well as groups of relatives of the men who died.

In his address, Rev Butcher paid tribute to all those who gave their lives in conflict and said the Cross of Sacrifice was a permanent reminder of what they had done

Following the service the Queen visited an exhibition compiled together by local historians and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Then later, being aided by local schoolchildren, the Queen laid a wreath on the monument to mark the anniversary.