The Northern Echo:

FOR those who were at Durham Tees Valley Airport today, to witness the flypast of a Lancaster bomber, it was a day they will never forget.

"Vera", as the aircraft is affectionately known, had made her way from Canada to be at the North-East airport which had served as a bomber base during World War Two.

Veterans from Britain and Canada had travelled to the airport to see Vera up close and to pay their respects to the memory of those brave young men who flew off on bombing missions, in the full knowledge there was a very good chance they would not be coming back.

In particular, they remembered Andrew Mynarski, the Canadian airman, who died after battling in a stricken Lancaster to save his crew-mate, Pat Brophy.

In 2005, readers of The Northern Echo - with valuable help from the Heritage Lottery Fund - raised £76,000 in an appeal to build a bronze statue of Mynarski to ensure his heroism would not be forgotten.

It remains one of the paper's proudest campaigns because we passionately believe in the value of remembrance and linking generations to important chapters of history.

We must not forget the incredible bravery of the pilots and the "tail-end Charlies" - and that's why days like today are so important.

Many of those who were there today found themselves wiping away tears as they remembered loved ones, but there was also reason for them to be happy - because they know that the heroics which took place at Middleton St George a generation ago have not been forgotten.

Great credit is due to those volunteers who refuse to let the memories die - notably Sedgefield aviation historian Geoff Hill. Their unstinting efforts often go unseen - but today they produced a day that many will treasure.