VIDEO: Moving moment last surviving member of RAF squadron at Spilsby is reunited with Lancaster for his 100th birthday

Wing Commander Scott Williams of RAF Marham travelled up to the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby to honour Fred Pearce - the last surviving member of 207 Squadron to serve throughout the Second World War.

On the day many commemorations planned throughout the UK were cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Wing Commander presented Mr Pearce with a special Squadron badged card signed by the current air and ground crew personnel. Mr Pearce also received a framed picture of the Squadron's latest fighter plane - the F35 Lightening - also signed by current flight engineers.

It was an especially poignant moment for Wing Commander Williams to travel from the Norfolk base to visit Bomber County and the home of the Lancasters which the squadron first flew when it was formed.

In the shadow of the heritage centre's Lancaster, Just Jane, Wing Commander Williams said: "Mr Pearce is our squadron's last surviving member of Bomber Command to serve from 1942 to 1944 and it has been an honour to come to wish him a happy 100th birthday on behalf of us all at the squadron.

"It is very fitting we celebrate Fred's birthday by a Lancaster which he worked on during the Second World War.

"My engineers have sent him a birthday card signed by all of them, so hopefully he will recognise that camaraderie from the war.

"207 Squadron has a rich history in Lincolnshire and is now based at RAF Mareham but it is very nice to come back to Lincolnshire for this special occasion."

Clearly overcome by the ceremony, there was no doubt Mr Pearce has never lost his love for aviation - even his socks had Lancaster stamped on them. There was touching moment when he reached out and placed his hand on the fuselage of the Lancaster. Family and friends who gathered to watch the ceremony said his home is full of memorabilia and he often had a book about the war in his hands.

As a Flight Mechanic working on Lancasters, he spent the last 18 months based at RAF Spilsby - now his home with his wife of 70 years, Renee.

Alfred George (Fred) Pearce was born on the 26 th June 1921 near Warminster in Wiltshire.

Born the son of a gardener, he joined the RAF in 1940. On the completion of his training as a Flight Mechanic, he joined ‘A Flight’ of 207 Squadron, a bomber squadron, in August 1942, operating the new Lancaster that had superseded the ill-fated Manchester. Postings followed to Bottesford, Syerston and Langar, where on September 3-4,1943, the Squadron were detailed for an operation to Berlin.

It was on this raid that war correspondent Wynford Vaughan-Thomas and sound engineer Reg Pidsley flew with Flight Lieutenant Ken Letford’s crew in one of Mr Pearce's charges, Lancaster III ED586 (EM-F), to make their now famous radio recording for broadcasting by the BBC.

Mr Pearce’s final move of the war with 207 Squadron was to the newly-constructed RAF Spilsby located at the southern end of the Lincolnshire Wolds. The aerodrome and various dispersed domestic sites surrounded the small village of Great Steeping.

It was here at a whist drive and dance held in the village hall that he was to meet his future wife, Renee Willerton.

After his demob in 1946, he returned to Westcott near Dorking in Surrey where his family had moved during the war. Renee and Fred were married at the Westcott Parish Church on July 27, 1947.

After his return to civilian life, he joined the South-East Electricity Board, completing 40 years as an electrician working on the national grid. The couple returned to Spilsby in 2003.

Amongst the guests at the 100th birthday ceremony was Mr Pearce's lifelong friend, Margaret Woods, 93. They touched hands as they posed for a photograph having not seen each other for over a year due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Mrs Woods, who presented Fred with a floral squadron emblem, said: "I went to school with Renee and we have been friends all our lives.

"I'm really excited to see them and be here for Fed's 100th birthday."

Mr Pearce's son Geoff said his father would remember his 100th birthday for the rest of his life.

"We've taken this opportunity to reunite him with his Lancaster from 207 Squadron," he said. "It's 10 years since he was last here. It's a wonderful moment and my father will treasure the memory of coming to the Lancaster and being introduced to the Wing Commaneder for the rest of his life.

The event was organised by Kevin Mapley - former membership secretary of 207 Squadron RAF Association and founder of the Friends of RAF Spilsby.

"I have known Fred for some 25 years - he represents the iconic ground crew. It's been a very day day and I'm sure there will be many other 207 Squadron veterans somewhere looking down saying 'I wish I was with you'."

Host for the day, Philip Panton of the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, said they were please to welcome Mr Pearce and his guests.

"We are always pleased to welcome veterans but this is really special - to welcome Fred on his 100th birthday on Armed Forces Day."

*The Lincolnshire Aviation Centre is now open for bookings. For more details visit the website at https://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/