ONE of the last surviving Spitfire pilots from the Second World War took a trip down memory lane yesterday.

George Bennions visited the Hartlepool Headland to speak to enthusiasts restoring the Princess Royal lifeboat used during the war.

Mr Bennions, 88, is one of the few surviving members of the Caterpillar Club - formed during the war by airmen who had to use Caterpillar parachutes.

Mr Bennions, who was involved in the Battle of Britain, shot down many enemy aircraft and destroyed a German submarine.

War enthusiast Brian Stringer, of Hartlepool invited Mr Bennions to the Headland to reminisce about old times and learn about the restoration of the lifeboat.

Mr Stringer said: "There are not many people left who experienced what he did."

Mr Bennions was shot down several times, including when he was stationed in North Africa.

Mr Stringer said: "You could say he was literally shot down in flames.

"There have been books written about his contribution to the war and you cannot read an account of the fighting without hearing his name.