A POIGNANT tribute has been paid to a RAF crew lost in the Second World War by the relative of one of the men.

Michael Prestell visited the Yorkshire Air Museum, York, to pay a bagpipe lament to the crew of a Halifax bomber shot down in 1943.

The men aboard Halifax MkII JD 121 KN-O which was flying to Kassel, in Germany, included his grandfather’s brother air gunner John Prestell.

The bomber crashed at Tietelsen, Germany, although little is known as to the last moments of the men in the crew.

Michael Prestell visited the Yorkshire Air Museum where No 77 Squadron Bomber Command, of which the fateful plane was a part, took off.

There at 6.02pm on Thursday, October 22 he played Flowers of the Forest, a traditional Scottish funeral lament, on the bagpipes.

It was at this time and day in 1943 that the bomber took off from RAF Elvington based where the museum is now.

He played on the balcony of the control tower of the former wartime airfield now the Allied Air Forces Memorial.

Ian Richardson, of the museum, said: "At this time of remembrance for all those that gave their lives in conflicts we were pleased to allow Michael this opportunity to pay respects to a family member he never actually met, having been born after the war."

The rest of the crew were flying officer John Barber, sergeant Derick Stribley, sergeant Roy Hand, flying officer Eric Price, sergeant Ivor Smith and warrant officer Harry Weber.

They are all buried at the Hanover War Cemetery, in Germany.