A woman who became close friends with airman Andrew Mynarski has only now learnt of his death - 60 years after his heroic sacrifice. Kate Bowman reports.

LILIAN Ritchie immediately recognised the wartime snap of Andrew Mynarski staring back at her from the front page of The Northern Echo.

She had wondered many times over the years what had become of the Canadian airman, who she always recalled with great fondness.

Tears replaced the feeling of surprise as she picked the paper up from a supermarket shelf - learning for the first time how he died a hero.

The 81-year-old became great friends with the pilot officer when they were stationed together during the Second World War at RAF Upper Heyford, near Oxford.

But Mrs Ritchie, of Springwell Village, near Washington, Wearside, lost touch with him when he was re-assigned to RAF Middleton St George, near Darlington.

It was from there that the crew of Lancaster KB726 VR-A took off on June 12, 1944, on a mission to bomb the marshalling yards of the Cambrai region of France.

Mynarski died after trying to save the life of gunner Pat Brophy who became trapped in the rear gun turret of the blazing bomber after it was hit, at 13 minutes past midnight on June 13 over France. It was the crew's 13th mission.

He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery.

Mrs Ritchie said: "When I read about what had happened to him I was so shocked - I still am. I have cried. It is so sad.

"I was in Asda and saw his face on the front of the paper. I couldn't believe it."

She picked up Friday's edition to read that The Northern Echo had launched a £40,000 appeal to have an 8ft bronze statue erected to mark his bravery at the former airbase, now Teesside Airport.

Mrs Ritchie joined the RAF in her teens. She trained at RAF Morecambe before going to Upper Heyford where she met Mynarski.

"It is there that I met Andy. He was a very nice young man, a quiet man and not very tall. We would go out together, as friends, to dances or the pictures," said the great-grandmother.

The pair had a close friendship and Mrs Ritchie said that if Mynarski had not been posted to Middleton St George, it may have developed into something more special.

"I never got a chance to say goodbye to him unfortunately. I would have loved to have seen him again, he was a lovely person.

"I have often looked at the photographs I have of him, and others I met during the war, and wondered what they are doing now.

"It is strange to think I have learned of Andy's death 60 years later, in the paper.

"It is important that we remember him. He represents what I'm sure many other men did when faced with tragic circumstances."