RELATIVES of a young spitfire pilot who died in a plane crash 70 years ago attended a “beautiful” ceremony to honour his memory.

Arthur Ghislaine Patiny was a 24-year-old Belgian pilot who left his career as an art teacher to fight in the Second World War before he was killed when his plane crashed in a field near Burgess Hill in July 1944.

On Wednesday, relatives and dignitaries from Belgium travelled to the Sussex town for a ceremony to honour his memory.

A service including the readings of poetry and family letters from the pilot and the procession of flags was held as a new headstone was unveiled at St John’s Church.

Mayor Anne Jones helped organise the service and she said the event was “beautiful” and “almost unbelievable”.

She said: “It was amazing. We were all very moved and overwhelmed. We had 18 people from Belgium attend including 8 of his relatives.

“One gentleman from Burgess Hill was ten-years-old when the crash happened and he saw the whole thing.

“Arthur came to the UK to join the RAF and was out on manoeuvres when the plane crashed into a field where there are now houses.

“He wanted to come over to fight and his great niece read out a beautiful letter from him telling his family he would be alright.

“He said in the letter to give a kiss to his niece who also attended the ceremony and is an elderly woman now.”

The service was translated into French for the Belgians in attendance and was supported by a donation of £1,000 from the Mid Sussex District Council.

Mayor Jones read a poem called High Flight which was traditionally read out at the funerals of pilots.

She said she struggled to decide on a reading and she visited the library the morning before the event in an attempt to find one.

She opened a book and immediately found High Flight, the significance of which she did not realise until informed by a man at a the service who described the choice as “perfect”.