The whole mission was a catalogue of disasters

The great, waxed moustache bristled

He served 1939-45, two tours, DFM from the King. An amazing man

There's nothing white that drips out of engines

I just laid there, thinking 'Wow, I am inside a Lightning aircraft!'

It was a huge tragedy for the family

The rush comes when you get back onto the ground

Doing a handstand on the wing of a plane is bizarre but fun

I felt ashamed that I'd left my friends in Iraq

I'd been promoted and there were guys I needed to look after

I needed closure

I did everything the lads did and the stigma soon shifted.