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sent to battle believing it was an exciting adventure. They soon discovered the terrible realities of a world war.

Vic says: “Frank Symes had simply signed up as a way of escaping working on his uncle’s farm. The atrocities of what they saw lived with them forever.

“And whenever reference was made to how courageous they were, my dad told me, ‘I wasn’t brave, I was terrified’.”

In a short space of time the young men were trained to fly in a Lancaster bomber, renowned as the plane that turned the war in the Allies’ favour.

Vic says: “Ironically my dad had been a fireman in Grimsby in 1940. After the war the o scarr

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FINAL FLIGHT Lancaster the Mallon crew flew in April 1945 BRAVE The Mallon crew in a snap taken by Bob Jay in 1944 Navigator became an accountant. Died in 2001, aged 90 Mid-upper gunner worked in a law firm. Died in 2000, aged 7

TRIBUTE Vic Jay in dad’s RAF jumper for Lancaster flight