Before the war Ian Robinson and Bernard Clayton were the best of pals, schoolmates who studied and played together.

On the outbreak of hostilities they both volunteered to fight for their country with the Royal Air Force and from then on their lives diverged, although both played crucial - if largely unsung - roles in turning back the tide. Both survived the war, but while Ian left the RAF and now lives in retirement in Canada, Bernard stayed on, took part in the Berlin airlift, became a test pilot and was killed in a training accident in 1951.

Now their stories have been told in a book by Northallerton war historian Tony Eaton. Two Friends, Two Different Hells is fully-illustrated and essentially comprises of two books in one.

The first, From Choirboy to Bomber Pilot, is the enthralling story of Bernard, one of seven children born to a farming family in Aldborough, near Boroughbridge, who went on to serve with 617 Squadron of Dam Busters fame. The second, The Fickle Finger of Fate, is Ian's story in his own words, from his time as a choirboy in his home village of Copgrove, near Ripon, to his wartime exploits in Europe and the Far East.

Both went to the King James Grammar School in Knaresborough and joined the RAF as war broke out. Bernard went on to fly Halifaxes on raid after raid against Fortress Europe, many of them dangerous specialist ops. Switching to Lancasters, he joined 617 Squadron shortly after the dams raid and took part in sortie after sortie, including hazardous operations with the 12,000lb Tallboy bomb.

He was the only RAF man to be awarded the Distinguished Service Order, Distinguished Flying Cross and the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal.

Meanwhile Ian, who flew 110 ops, started on Blenheims and survived being shot down and wounded after a low-level raid over Calais. He later went to the Far East, where he flew Hudsons in support of the Chindits and Gurkhas in the jungle before transferring to Dakota transports.

In 1944 he returned to Europe, dropping paratroops on D-Day and later taking part in the Arnhem operation.

"These are two stories I felt were really worth telling," said author Tony, a former firefighter. "It is because of people like them we live in freedom now."

* Two Friends, Two Different Hells, from ReCall Publications, can be bought from Ottakars bookshops or from Tony Eaton at 50 Turker Lane, Northallerton, DL6 1QA, price £14.95 pp £1.25.