Special thanks for air crash bravery

Bob Morris showed his appreciation to Charles Williams by presenting him with the last photograph taken of his father, Stanley, who died last year, posing with his grandchildren.

"There are the people you gave life," said Mr Morris.

The Australian brought with him the wallet his father carried during the crash. He held his first ever meeting with Mr Williams on Tuesday, exactly 59 years to the day since the accident.

Stanley Morris' Beau-fighter crash-landed in a field near Guarlford. Despite the danger posed by live ammunition carried in the plane, Mr Williams forced his way past flames to the cockpit.

Mr Williams, then a farm worker, pulled Stanley from the wreckage while he was still attached to his flying seat.

He received a British Empire medal from King George VI for his heroism. Stanley made a full recovery from the incident after spending nine months in hospital suffering from a broken pelvis and burns.

During his visit, Mr Morris travelled to the spot where the crash happened in 1944.

He said: "I had stories told to me and the site described by my mother and father. But until you see something for yourself you can't make the connection.

"Today makes it all the more real for me. Charles' recollections are still very vivid and you can still see where the tops of the trees had been affected by the plane coming down."

He added: "It's wonderful to meet Charles. Without his actions I wouldn't be here today and through that one act of heroism a lot more people are alive.

Mr Williams played down his actions.

"I feel no different to any other day," he said. "It's something that happened a long time ago but I've enjoyed today."

The pair were brought together by the Malvern Gazette. Mr Morris contacted the newspaper in March to track down the person who saved his father.

The Gazette contacted Mr Williams after finding the original report of the incident in the archives, which named him as the hero.