WAR veterans have paid silent tribute to a brave young man -- more than 50 years after he died in the Second World War.

The special act of remembrance by former members of the 1035 Squadron -- made up of those who attended the Accrington Air Training Corps -- followed the remarkable discovery of a trophy presented after the war in honour of their six fallen comrades.

Every year since the end of the war, survivors of the 1035 Squadron have met to pay tribute to colleagues, and have always wondered what happened to the mementos presented to the families of the deceased. They knew that the families received small bells cast out of the remains of German bombers shot down over Britain, at a service at Accrington Town Hall in 1945.

But the group were moved to tears when the relatives of one of the deceased asked if he could hand over a bell for the Old Boys to cherish.

Cyril Harrison, from the Association, said Vincent Denbigh, the younger brother of Arnold Denbigh turned up at his home with the bell.

He said: "We have always wondered what happened to the bells and I was so shocked when Vincent turned up at my door saying his family wanted to give us the bell for us to look after."

At a poignant gathering at the Oak Street Congregational Church in Accrington, the family of Arnold and his wartime comrades gathered to pay silent tribute to him before the bell was passed over.

Arnold died when an incendiary device exploded on his aircraft as he flew back from a bombing raid over Germany.

Cyril added: "Arnold was such a cheerful man and very enterprising. He gave a false age to gain entry to the RAF, and probably became the youngster bearer of the coveted Flight Engineer's wing brevet.

"It was only realised, on the day of the actual meeting, March 6, that it was the 56th anniversary of Arnold's death which made it all the more poignant to stand in respectful silence to remember him."

Among those attending the service were civic heads and high ranking officers including Air Marshall Sir Leslie Gossage.

Each family received one of the bells, mounted on a solid oak plinth.

The bells were each inscribed with the former cadet's name and bore the images of Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin.