GREAT, great grandfather Len Thomas flew more than 30 missions with Bomber Command in the Second World War – and lived to tell the tale.

“The average for an air gunner at that time was five – if you were lucky,” the 91-year-old told Bygones this week.

“I must have been very lucky and the Lancaster I flew in must have been charmed, too, for the marks of more than 70 raids were recorded on its fuselage.”

Len, who lives in sheltered accommodation in Blackburn, joined the Air Force as a volunteer reserve in 1942, at the age of 19.

After passing out as a sergeant air gunner, he joined 576 Squadron, formed in November 1943 and based at RAF Elsham Wolds in Lincolnshire.

It started operations only days later, when seven Avro Lancasters were sent out to bomb Berlin.

Len was one of two air gunners in a seven man crew, which comprised two Englishmen – him and a Yorkshire born pilot – three Canadians, an Irishman and one Latin American volunteer, from Argentina.

Together, they flew 30 operations, so completing ‘a tour’ and undertook bombing raids over Germany, including Dusseldorf and Dresden, as well as Eindhoven.

The crew, which nicknamed their bomber Peter, were also called on to bomb targets in France, as part of the D Day invasion and so help the army advance.

As a gunner, Len would sit either in the mid upper turret or in the rear and fight off any planes that came up to intercept the ‘gaggle’ of 21 Lancasters, sent on any mission.

“Most of the action came when we got to the target and we had to dodge flak and shells from the anti-aircraft guns, “ he said.

“We all used to think ‘let’s get these bombs away and get out’.

“I remember, though, our plane getting hit over Germany, when a shell burst under the wing, hitting the fuel tanks and starting a fire.

“We were losing a lot of fuel and our pilot came down to 500 feet in a bid to get back to England.

“We didn’t make it back to our own base, but he got us to an American base in Suffolk and his skill and bravery earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross.

“We were all a little nervous after, as we still needed a few operations to complete our full tour, but we did what we had to do.”

In between bombing missions, the crew carried out other operations, such as sweeping the seas on the look-out for downed planes and crew, but after 12 months, they were given well- earned leave.

When they were recalled, however, their second tour took them to south east Asia, where the men flew American Liberator bombers over targets in Burma.

Said Len: “By this time the war in Europe had ended and we used to see pictures of victory parades across Britain, France and Germany, while we were still involved in war.

“Luckily, we only flew four missions before peace was signed there, too.”

Len finished his service in Kirkham and on a night out met a young lady called Margaret, from Mill Hill, Blackburn, who was to become his wife of 61 years.

The couple married at St Peter’s in Mill Hill in 1947 and Len, an engineer by trade, worked for many years at Northrop and Mullards in Blackburn.

Before retirement, the couple were also the steward and stewardess at Ribble Motors Sports and Social Club, in Foundry Hill, across the road from Duttons in the centre of Blackburn.

They had two children and today their family has been extended by seven grandchildren, nine great grandchildren and one great, great granddaughter.