A DECORATED war hero who survived being shot down five times and flew more than three times the recommended number of missions has died at the age of 90.

Bob Saiger earned several medals, including one during the Battle of Britain, in a distinguished flying career during the Second World War.

He died at his home in Billy Row, near Crook, County Durham, on Saturday from heart failure.

Mr Saiger, who was married to wife Olive for 61 years before her death four years ago, had one daughter Janice, married to John Fulford, two granddaughters, Jenny and Katie, and one great-grandson, Max.

He joined the RAF volunteer reserve at the age of 21 in 1941 and learned to fly Tiger Moth bi-planes.

His first posting was at RAF Usworth, near Sunderland, where he flew Hurricanes, which he preferred to Spitfires as they could “take more punishment”, to protect the east coast form Luftwaffe attacks.

On November 15, 1941, his 21st birthday, Mr Saiger was shot down over the North Sea and spent 12 hours in a dinghy before being rescued, earning himself a Distinguished Flying Medal.

Two years later he transferred to fly Halifax Bombers for 78 Bomber Squadron based at York.

Bomber pilots were expected to fly 30 missions before they were allowed to retire, with the average life expectancy only being five or six missions.

But Mr Saiger completed 98 war-time flights, and was shot down four more times, once over Belgium when he evaded capture and was helped home by the Belgian resistance.

On another occasion, having told his crew to bail out, he flew a badly-damaged plane back to England before landing in a field, for which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After the war, Mr Saiger, who was friends with several war heroes including Douglas Bader and Eric “Winkle”

Brown, became the pilot for Lord Wavell, who flew around India to negotiate the country’s independence from the British Empire.

Mr Saiger, originally from Sherburn Hill near Durham City, then returned to County Durham where he became a salesman for Remploy and joined the Territorial Army.

Mr Fulford said: “He was a great character, such a nice man.

“He only ever talked about the war when he was drunk as it made him sad because he lost so many friends.

“He says he survived because, having been a fighter pilot, he knew how they thought and how to evade them in his bomber.

“If anyone enjoyed life to the full, it was him.”

Mr Saiger’s funeral will be held at 11am on Tuesday at Durham Crematorium, donations will be made to the Stroke Association.