THE campaign, launched on this page last week to persuade Canada to finally recognise the heroism of Pilot Officer William Stuart McMullen, appears to be taking flight.

McMullen was 30 when he was killed in 1945 as he stayed at the controls of his stricken Lancaster bomber to guide it away from housing in Darlington. Not only did he save his fellow crewmen but probably hundreds of Darlington residents.

The Northern Echo: Pilot Officer William McMullen

HERO: Pilot Officer William Stuart McMullen

On Friday night, I attended an annual memorial to the airman, on the road named after him. It was a solemn, dignified occasion which again ensured that Darlington has not forgotten William McMullen’s sacrifice.

It is a travesty that Canada, his home country, has yet to do the same.

It has been very clear to me over the past week that a lot of people in Darlington agree that Canada needs to address that historical oversight.

I am, therefore, grateful to the Mayor of Darlington, Councillor Brian Jones, for joining me in sending the letter below to the Mayor of Toronto, McMullen’s home city:

“To the Mayor of Toronto,

At 8.49pm on January 13, 1945, William Stuart McMullen, a 30-year-old pilot officer from Toronto, gave his life to save others in an unforgettable act of heroism.

Mr McMullen’s Lancaster bomber developed a catastrophic mechanical fault during a training flight from RAF Middleton St George, which is now Durham Tees Valley Airport. Mr McMullen skilfully and courageously kept the aircraft in the sky long enough to allow his fellow crewmen to use their parachutes. He then steered the Lancaster clear of the densely populated area of Darlington before being killed when the bomber crashed.

The people of Darlington have never forgotten what Mr McMullen did that night. The road that now passes the crash site is called McMullen Road and a memorial stone has been erected. Every year, at 8.49pm on January 13, local people gather to remember him.

However, it has come to our attention in Darlington that Mr McMullen has never been posthumously honoured for his bravery by the Royal Canadian Air Force. He does not even have a place in Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame.

It is our understanding that this is because he was not on active service at the time of the crash but on a training flight. The people of Darlington believe that is not a good enough reason to overlook this incredible act of heroism which may well have saved hundreds of lives.

Whether engaged in conflict, or preparing for conflict, William Stuart McMullen deserves to be officially recognised, not just in England but in his home country of Canada.

We enclose a recent article from Darlington’s local newspaper, The Northern Echo, calling for this historic oversight to be addressed. We respectfully ask you to join us in campaigning to have this put this right. We look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Councillor Brian Jones, His Worshipful Mayor of Darlington, and Peter Barron, columnist on Darlington’s paper, The Northern Echo.

MEANWHILE, the chairman of the Darlington branch of the Royal British Legion, Ken Coates, has also been quick to offer his support.

He arranged for a wreath to be laid at Friday night’s ceremony and said: “This man’s actions saved a lot of lives and I want to know why he hasn’t yet been officially recognised by his own country.”

The Darlington branch meets every fourth Wednesday of the month at the Army recruiting centre in Neasham Road at 8pm. Anyone interested in getting involved should contact secretary Tony Gerrard on 07576189626.

ON lighter matters, it was a pleasure to be the latest guest speaker at the splendid Books and Banter group based at Stockton’s Central Library.

One of those in the audience was Sonia Lawson, who’s been a volunteer supporter of the Billingham Folklore Festival for more than 40 years.

She recalled the time when she and follow volunteer Jean Ogden, of Hartlepool, were so busy on festival matters that they were using the staff room at the old Bede College building in Billingham as sleeping quarters.

They had use of a portable loo out the back and Jean was in there in her nightie one morning when a small team of men came with a trolley to take it away to empty it.

When they realised there was still someone inside, they immediately went into reverse and dumped the loo where they’d found it. The only problem was that they left it the wrong way round so that the door was jammed against the wall.

It was some time later that Jean was finally freed. Apparently, the banging could be heard across Teesside.