The ceremony was held at 9.30am, and despite a foggy morning, those in attendance watched as wreaths were laid. 

The airmen, who came from what was then-called Czechoslovakia, were killed above Tain in Easter Ross during the Second World War. Some 21 members of the 311 Czechoslovak Squadron Coastal Command who flew for the RAF are buried at St Duthus New Cemetery. They had escaped to the UK in 1940 after the collapse of France and were among around 2,000 Czech airmen who took to the skies for the Allies. Just under 500 of them lost their lives in the fight. 

A memorial commemorating the Czech airmen was unveiled in 2007, and since then it has been cared for by two very dedicated volunteers. 

Following this year’s Remembrance ceremony, those two individuals, Billy and Mary Grant, were thanked for all their efforts, which they are now giving up due to old age. They were presented with a letter and badges from the Czech Defence Attaché and Ron Ferguson, president of the Tain branch. 

The letter read: “We are immensely grateful for the positive impact you have made. The respect and honour you show to these heroes through your meticulous upkeep of the graves is admirable and inspiring. Your dedication stands as a shining example of what true patriotism and reverence for our history mean.”