A TOWN hailed as Britain's bravest has given up details of another hero.

Sergeant George Simpson was awarded the Conspicuously Gallantry Medal for helping to save a bomber and its crew after it was shot by a German fighter in 1945.

But his heroism remained a secret - until now.

Even his closest friends in Evenwood, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, heard about it only after his death at the age of 90.

Mr Simpson's daughter, Norma Marshall, who lives at Oaks Bank, Evenwood, said that after returning from the war he never spoke about his medal.

And it was only mentioned briefly at his funeral.

She added: "A lot of his friends were at the service, and they said afterwards that this was the first they knew about his heroism."

Now Norma has decided to make his bravery known after reading how Barnard Castle has more medal winners than any comparable town in the country.

Sergeant Simpson was flight engineer on a Lancaster bomber attacked on a raid over Tonsberg, Norway.

Although he suffered suffered serious shrapnel wounds to his hand and shoulder, he kept working.

Despite losing blood and getting frostbite in both hands, he valiantly shielded the pilot from the icy blast.

He then went to help the wounded bomb aimer, and nearly fell through a hole in the floor.

He managed to drop 13 bombs into the sea, then went back to help the pilot land at a Swedish airfield.

A citation to Sgt Simpson, along with two others, said they acted magnificently under extreme hardship.

He later went with his wife, Nancy, and daughter, Norma, to Buckingham Palace to receive the medal from King George VI, who gave his personal congratulations.

Mr Simpson ran a radio and cycle shop in Evenwood before the war.

Later he became a bus driver and fitter before working as a college maintenance man.