The Ely Royal Air Force (RAF) air cadets joined the Newmarket squadron in a trip to Holland to represent the RAF during the 100th year of the defence line.

Ely Standard: Cadets and staff from the Ely and Newmarket RAF cadet squadron have travelled to Holland during the 100th year of the Royal Air Force to commemorate to loss of a six-man crew in World War 2. PHOTO: SubmittedCadets and staff from the Ely and Newmarket RAF cadet squadron have travelled to Holland during the 100th year of the Royal Air Force to commemorate to loss of a six-man crew in World War 2. PHOTO: Submitted (Image: Submitted)

Staff and cadets headed to Landsmeer to join the townsfolk to commemorate the loss of a six-man crew that died during the Second World War in their Wellington Bomber.

The aircraft, a T2879 bomber from the 99 Squadron, set off on the night of September 29 1941 from RAF Waterbeach but never returned - the squadron flew 1,786 operational attacks and lost 43 aircrafts during its time at Waterbeach.

Parts of the plane were recovered during searches of the crash site and now form a memorial to the RAF crew who risked their lives on a nightly basis in order to liberate Holland and the rest of Europe.

On December 14 1939, the squadron set off for an armed reconnaissance of the Schillig Roads, hoping to attack a force of German warships spotted by a British submarine the previous night.

While the formation encountered the German warships, the cloud base was too low to bomb the ships, and five of the bombers were lost over the North Sea, one shot down by anti-aircraft fire, three by German fighters and one lost in a collision.