Two Dutch schoolgirls have been discovering the special wartime aviation connections between the Netherlands and Pembrokeshire while visiting local relatives.

Sisters Isabella (14) and Elenora Van der Kooij (10) are the granddaughters of Mrs Glenys Cullen of Marloes, Their mother, Gemma, was brought up in Pembrokeshire and visits regularly with her husband Bram and family.

For school history projects, the girls visited the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre where the family was welcomed by Patron John Evans. The Heritage centre has displays and models about two squadrons formed from Dutch naval personnel and aircraft which had escaped after the German invasion in May 1940. Nos 320 and 321 Squadrons served as part of the RAF throughout the war, initially at Pembroke Dock and nearby RAF Carew Cheriton.

Later the family went to the town’s Llanion Cemetery, where two Dutch airmen are buried, and to Carew Cheriton Cemetery where the war graves section includes four Dutch graves, one of whom has a surname very close to theirs, coincidentally.

While at Carew Cheriton they met with airfield historian Deric Brock, who maintains the immaculately kept graves. Isabella and Elenora laid white daisies - the national flower of The Netherlands - on all the graves.

The visits were arranged by Glenys’ husband, Malcolm, a founder member of the Pembrokeshire Aviation Group, of which both Deric and John are also long time members.