French saved me in the war.. I gave them fried eggs on toast

How RAF hero caused a breakfast revolution

AN RAF veteran has discovered that he introduced the French to fried eggs on toast after being shot down by the Nazis in 1944.

Thomas Maxwell, 93, parachuted out of his Lancaster bomber when it was hit by flak over north-eastern France.

A local family found the terrified airman, then aged 19, and hid him at their farm in Bazancourt for 10 days.

Each morning the farmer’s wife, Tancre de Maertens, brought him bread, cheese and a glass of red wine. One day Tom got the frying pan and, in sign language, asked for fried egg on toast.

His host laughed and said it sounded ridiculous, but brought him eggs on toasted French bread the next morning.

After D-Day, a few months later, she made the same dish for all the advancing Allied troops. And “oeuf sur le pain grille” was soon being served in local cafes.

Irish-born Tom only discovered that his meal request had sparked a French revolution decades later. Researchers investigating crash sites of Allied aircraft had visited the farm and spoke to the wife’s son. Tom, a great-granddad who now lives near Exeter, Devon, said: “The researchers ended up talking to him and all these stories came out, including the one about fried eggs on toast.

“He said his mother had shared the story with friends, who had laughed at this crazy Irishman. It then ended up in all the local cafes. It was just my favourite dish at the time, that’s all.”

Tom, who is one of the last surviving Second World War rear gunners, known as the “tail end Charlies”, returned to combat after the resistance smuggled him 600 miles and across the Pyrenees to Spain.

He was eventually flown back to the UK from Gibraltar and resumed flying missions before ending the war in India.

After a stint as a teacher he rejoined the RAF in 1952 in Air Traffic Control and retired in 1978.

His wife Katherine died in 2007 and he has two sons, eight grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Tom, who still enjoys a fried egg, was awarded France’s Legion d’Honneur medal last year. He added: “I am very proud of the efforts we made in the war and my service with the RAF.”