Andrew Mynarski's family have never allowed his memory to be forgotten. Chris Webber spoke to the airman's nephew James Holowaty.

WHEN Canada formally separated from Britain in 1947 the first citizen of Canada was named as the prime minister, second was the supreme court judge of Canada and number three was Annie Mynarski, middleaged house-cleaner, widow, and mother to one Andrew Mynarski.

It is a fact told with great pride by Andrew's nephew, James Holowaty, who has become used to his uncle's name being honoured in Canada.

He tells how the Govenor General came to the family's modest house to present Andrew's mother, Annie, with the VC, how his uncle's name has been immortalised in his home town of Winnipeg with parks and a school named after him and how the VC has pride of place at Canadian Air Force Command in Winnipeg.

The fact that 6,000 miles away he is also to be immortalised, 8ft high in bronze, is he says, "unbelievable, a great, great honour, something the family would love to be part of."

When Mr Holowaty, a television station operations manager who lives in Texas, tells the ordinary, everyday family stories of Andrew and his Polish-immigrant family's simple lives his pride really comes through.

"Andrew was one of six children, all of whom have passed on now, " he said. "Their father died when all the children were young and my grandmother, Annie, went out cleaning houses to support the family.

"Andrew helped out and, when he was old enough, at 16, went out to work. He was good with his hands and did good work as a furrier in Winnipeg."

He became a furniture builder until, in 1940, he briefly joined the Royal Winnipeg Rifles before joining the Royal Canadian Air Force in September 1941.

He didn't excel at first, having trouble learning the morse code, but graduated as an air-gunner and was promoted to temporary sergeant before coming to England in January 1942, flying in Halifax bombers.

A picture begins to emerge of a quiet, decent ordinary man.

Certainly not an obvious war hero.