AN annual day which pays tribute to 100 dales airman who lost their lives celebrated survival at its tenth event yesterday.

The Teesdale Aviation Memorial Day brought together primary school children and servicemen on parkland outside Deerbolt Young Offenders' Institution, Barnard Castle, County Durham

The day opened with a service of remembrance and continued with music from the Rowan Pipes and Drums and the 52-piece Cassino Military Band, made up of Army cadets and the Territorial Army.

Three children from Gainford Primary School, Reagan Fenwick, Charlotte Burley and Leah Johnstone, joined Lord Barnard to unveil a commemorative plaque.

Low cloud and rain restricted a flypast from RAF Leeming to just one Hawk aeroplane.

Barnard Castle mayor and former prison officer John Yarker, who organises the events with Tony Galley, gave a talk about Lt Thomas Gorman, an Australian who survived when his two-seater RE8 observation bi-plane.

Lt Gorman's granddaughter, Rebecca Gorman, was due to broadcast an interview with Mr Harker on a radio station in New South Wales, Australia, yesterday.

Mr Harker said: "We are paying tribute not just to the small percentage of airmen who survived crashes but to the farmers, shepherds and emergency services who came to their rescue."

Air Commodore Edward Jarron, secretary general to the Royal Air Forces Association, said: "I am pleased to see the children here because it is important that future generations understand what happened in the past."