THE HOUSE of Commons was visibly moved yesterday by the story of the Darlington air hero William McMullen who gave his own life to avoid crashing into hundreds of homes, but the Government was adamant that he could not receive an honour.

The town’s MP, Peter Gibson, himself choked back emotion as he told of the Canadian airman’s heroism, and said that if McMullen had been on a combat mission, rather than a training exercise on the night of January 13, 1945, he would have won a Victoria Cross.

The Northern Echo: Second World War pilot Stuart McMullen who piloted his stricken Lancaster bomber away from houses in Darlington..

In an adjournment debate yesterday evening, Mr Gibson told how McMullen (above), who was stationed at RAF Middleton St George, had stayed with his plane when he could have jumped and steered it away from the houses before it crashed into farmland on the eastern edge of town – now McMullen road.

“We will never know how many lives he saved that day,” he said.

Mr Gibson said he had spoken to McMullen’s daughter, Donna, who was six when he was killed and who still lives in Toronto, Canada.

“She was over the moon and utterly delighted that I was raising it in the Commons,” he said, “and speaking to her made it all so genuine and real rather than a story from a history book.”

Replying to Mr Gibson, Dr Andrew Murrison, the Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence, paid tribute to McMullen. “He’s a hero in every sense of the word. The story was both poignant and inspiring. How many people would be likely to act in such a selfless manner. I have no doubt about the great importance of McMullen to the people of Darlington, especially those whose families were living in the Yarm Road area. No praise can be high enough for his actions that day.”

However, as expected, he reiterated that the Government would not be reopening cases from the Second World War.

Mr Gibson, though, was just pleased to have finally got McMullen’s story recorded in Hansard, the Parliamentary record.

“I am going to send copies of the Hansard report to a number of key individuals with the intention of trying to secure some further recognition for him,” he said.

Nigel Evans, the Deputy Speaker, closed the proceedings by saying: “I have chaired many adjournment debates and none better than today’s. The word hero is bandied about and abused, but not in William McMullen’s case. He has now been properly recognised in Parliament and his name will live on in Hansard.”

Afterwards, he told Mr Gibson how moved he had been by the story which he said should really have been turned into a Hollywood blockbuster.

The Northern Echo: William McMullen's name up in lights on the forthcoming business screens in Parliament this week

McMullen's name up in lights in Parliament