A MEMORIAL is to be unveiled in Newtownards on Saturday in tribute to Polish airmen who fought during the Second World War.
A number were stationed at nearby RAF Ballyhalbert and played a pivotal role during the conflict.
The monument, at Court Square, will be unveiled by Vanda Henderson, daughter of one of the Polish airmen who remained in the area after the war.
The ceremony, which begins at 11am, will be attended by the Polish Ambassador to the UK Arkady Rzegocki along with other distinguished guests.
The memorial remembers No 315 Deblinski and No 303 Warsaw- Kosciuszko Polish fighter squadrons which were stationed at Ballyhalbert, as well as all members of the Polish forces buried in Northern Ireland.
The Mayor of Ards and North Down councillor Richard Smart, said: “A number of Polish airmen tragically fell in the Battle of Britain and are interred in cemeteries at Movilla and Ballycranbeg.
"It is timely to remember them in the year of the Armistice and of RAF 100.”
The memorial came about after collaboration between the council, the honorary consul of the Republic of Poland in Northern Ireland and the Royal British Legion in Newtownards.
The council also worked in partnership with Maciek Bator, founder and programme director of 'For Your Freedom and Ours', a community company that celebrates shared history with the aim of creating a more cohesive and united society.
Mr Bator said: “There are currently over 500 polish people living in the borough and it is important that the history of their countrymen is recognised.
"By gathering historical information about the strong links between Northern Ireland and Poland and discovering connections to World War II of Polish people living in Northern Ireland we can bring shared history to life.”
