A Keighley airman who survived a Second World War training-flight crash but died later in a bombing raid has been remembered in a moving ceremony.

John William Dawson lost six colleagues when a Stirling bomber crashed in Bedfordshire on Christmas Eve, 1941, during a training mission.

He and two fellow crew members survived, only to lose their lives the following year in separate bombing operations.

Now all nine men have been honoured in a wreath-laying ceremony in Bedford.

And Terence Bowman, who staged the tribute during the town's Remembrance Day commemorations, is keen to hear from any surviving relatives of Sgt Dawson.

Mr Bowman - from County Down in Northern Ireland - began researching the details of the training flight tragedy a year ago with a view to commemorating its 60th anniversary.

His uncle Eric Bowman, who was 25, was among the crew members killed in the crash.

"I wanted to do something to show that their ultimate sacrifice - and that of others who gave their lives in the war - had not been forgotten," said Terence.

"Also I wish to let families know that a wreath has been placed in honour of the airmen, and that I will help where I can to provide anyone who is interested with additional information."

Another uncle - Geoffrey Bowman, an RAF pilot - also died in active service during the war.

John Dawson - a 29-year-old married man - was a corporal based at RAF Waterbeach, in Cambridgeshire, at the time of the 1941 crash.

He was part of the nine-man crew aboard the Short Stirling N6066, of 26 Conversion Flight, on a training operation.

At around 3pm the aircraft was carrying out a low-flying exercise when it struck a tree at West End Farm, Kempston, and crashed.

Those who died alongside Sgt Eric Bowman were Pilot Officer Henry Barrymore Rowland, 22, and Sgt Vernon John Askes, 23, both of Queensland, Australia; Sgt Gerald Harry Savoy, 21, of Suffolk; Sgt Edward Cameron Welsh, 34, of Cape Province, South Africa, and Sgt Reginald John Clark, 21, of Weymouth.

Survivors together with John Dawson were fellow corporals Jack Mainwaring, of Hale, Lancashire, and Sam Hawley Atkinson, of Wetherby.

All were later promoted to sergeant, but none lived to see the end of hostilities.

Sgt Dawson - who was the son of John and Margaret Ann Dawson, of Keighley, and husband of Hilda - was the Flight Engineer aboard Stirling W7613 of 218 Squadron on the night of October 1, 1942.

The aircraft took off from RAF Downham Market at 7.48pm to undertake a raid on Lubeck, but came down at the entrance to Esbjerg harbour with the loss of everyone on board.

Sgt Mainwaring, 20, was the Flight Engineer on Stirling N3718 of 218 Squadron which left RAF Downham Market at 11.25pm on July 2, 1942, for a raid on Bremen. The last contact with the aircraft was at 28 minutes past midnight when an SOS was received. The aircraft was declared lost at sea and the crew posted as missing.

Sgt Atkinson, who was just 19, was part of the crew of Stirling R9318 of 15 Squadron on the night of September 16, 1942. The aircraft took off from RAF Bourne at 8.10pm to undertake a raid on Essen, but failed to return. The crew was posted as missing.

Terence has visited the site of the crash which claimed his uncle's life, and even met someone who had witnessed the horrific scene.

"It is important to remember that names on war memorials were once real, living people, and many of them were just youngsters," he said.

"The sacrifice paid by my family was repeated in households throughout the UK and beyond."

The names of both Eric and Geoffrey Bowman are inscribed on the war memorial in his home town of Bangor, County Down.

His late father Hugh - who died in 1971 - also joined the RAF as soon as he was old enough, and Hugh's younger sister Rosaleen signed up to the WRAF.

Any relatives of Sgt Dawson who would like to contact Terence can phone him on 028437 23241 or write to him at 8 Mountnorris, Newcastle, County Down BT33 0QZ.