Wing Commander John Wynn, pictured, was on a bombing mission over Germany on March 14, 1945 when his aircraft was badly damaged forcing his crew to bail out
The head of the RAF has paid tribute to a hero pilot who lead one of the most daring WWII missions - when he escaped being chased by over 100 German planes.
Wing Commander John Wynne has died aged 97 - more than 70 years after a brave raid to bomb a Nazi oil refinery.
His crew were tasked with jamming enemy radar by flying low over the refinery in their B-17 plane.
During the mission, Wynne managed to evade more than 100 enemy fighters prowling the skies but they were eventually hit by a shell from an anti-aircraft gun.
It caused an engine fire and the Wing Commander ordered his crew to parachute out to safety.
He flew the crippled bomber back across the Channel despite its broken propeller - and flew standing up because he was trapped by the pipe supplying oxygen to his mask.
Wynne was unaware his men had been captured and executed by the Hitler Youth - and didn't learn of their fate for 50 years after secret files were opened up.
His seven men were captured by a German lynch mob who were given orders to kill them after the mission at the Lutzendorf refinery on March 14, 1945.
Four were murdered by a firing squad against the wall of Huchenfeld Church in Pforzheim, southwest Germany and two survived the war in a prison camp.
One of the airmen managed to escape - but was recaptured and murdered.
Wynne - by that time a farmer in Wales - did not know his men lost their lives until 1992 when officials tracked him down.
Only years after the war did Wing Commander Wynne, pictured, with his wife Jenny, discover that he crew was murdered on the ground by the Hitler Youth - Wynne managed to pilot his crippled aircraft back to safety
Sir Stephen Hillier, head of the RAF said: 'Wing Commander John Wynne DFC was a gentleman and a character.
'He was part of the extraordinary cadre of heroic aircrew to whom we owe a great debt, our freedom was fought for and won by them.
'Their bravery and sacrifice should never be forgotten - lest we forget.'
Wynn, who became a hill farmer in Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales, after the war died on November 19.
Discussing the daring night raid, Wynn said he knew 100 or more enemy night-fighters would have been directed towards his B-17.
In order to avoid the deadly night fighters, he was forced to drop down to below 3,000 feet - where he was at greater risk from ground fire.
Wynne saw two bombers ahead of him hit by ground fire and altered course, dodging flak which was coming up at them 'like ping-pong balls'.
He said: 'We were doing very nicely. Then suddenly a shell hit the port landing wheel, ricocheted and exploded.
'There was a bang and then a flash and some of the hot fragments hit the inner port engine. One was used to being hit.'
Fortunately no shots hit the B-17 which had a 'bonfire on the wing' and an engine fire.
He then ordered his crew to parachute to safety and miraculously flew back to Britain.
The target that Wednesday night, March 14, 1945, was the oil refinery at Lutzendorf, a few miles south of Leipzig.
Germany was only months away from defeat but the Allied bombing campaign was continuing in the hope of hastening the end.
On this raid Wynne's bomb-bay was empty because his task was not to drop explosives on the oil refinery - but to fly above the main wave of 244 Lancasters, jamming radar.
Wynne's family friend and neighbour, Lord-Lieutenant of Gwynedd Edmund Bailey, praised his sterling military record - and said he was a 'tall man of good looks'.
He said: 'He was held in extremely high regard by his friends and fellow villagers.
'He had an exemplary Air Force record and was one of the few surviving WW2 pilots left.
'During a particular tragic bombing mission over Germany, his plane was badly damaged and felt it safer for the crew to parachute out.
'They landed near Baden Baden and were captured there.
'Seven of whom were trucked to Pforzheim and then marched to Huchenfeld whereby they were locked in the primary school boiler room.
'Pforzheim had been badly damaged previously by numerous bombing raids and the District Governor wanted revenge.
'He organised a group of Hitler Youth to kill the remaining seven. Three of the airmen escaped but four were shot in the churchyard.
'One of the escapees was recaptured and murdered but the other two survived the war in a prison camp.
'Wing Commander Wynne, unable to leave the pilot's seat was compelled to stay with the plane but through great skill and determination and missing a propeller managed to bring the plane back to England but was for ever saddened by the cruelty shown to his crew.'
In 1992, Dr Heinemann-Gruder, a former army officer, erected a plaque for the British aircrew on the wall of the church in Huchenfeld with the words 'Father, forgive'.
This led to the confession of one of the murderers - at the dedication service to the crew.
The elderly man broke down in tears and admitted: 'I was one of the boys who killed them.'
The widow of murdered airman Harold Frost then unexpectedly stepped forward to forgive them.
A journalist tracked down Wynne after hearing the story - and broke the news of his crew's fate.
The wing commander was stunned - and commissioned a Welsh artist to make a wooden rocking horse that he and wife Pip donated to the kindergarten at Huchenfeld in 1994.
The horse was called Hoffnung, the German word for 'hope', and bore the inscription: 'To the children of Huchenfeld, from the mothers of 214 RAF Squadron'.
It sparked a special relationship with the Wynnes and the German town - who were linked by the massacre.
Huchenfeld is now twinned with Llanbedr - and the friendship scheme has led to an exchanged between school children living in both places.
Former Llanbedr school head Selwyn Griffiths said: 'John was a wonderful man who saw peace as a way forward after his experiences.
'When I was headmaster of Llanbedr school he came in to talk about the wooden horse he had given to Huchenfeld school as a sign of friendship.
'He was extending a hand of friendship following an event that happened during the war as he believed that this was very important.
'John Wynne was a special man, a very special friend that I will never forget and a friend who showed to us all the importance of building bridges of friendships between communities.'
He is survived by his wife Anne Wynne (Pip), daughter Elisabeth Grant, daughter-in-law Jenny Wynne and grandchildren, William, Taisie, Katie and Angie.
He sadly survived his 68-year-old son Ben Wynne by just 11 days who was tragically killed in an accident involving a tree on the family farm
His funeral is on Friday at St Peter's Church, Llanbedr at 1.30pm.
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News Pictures RAF hero pilot who dodged 100 German fighters has died aged 97
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