A WORLD War Two RAF gunner who was shot down and spent 11 weeks with the Belgian resistance is making an emotional visit to retrace his steps.

The Lancaster bomber carrying Russell Margerison, 78, was shot down by a German fighter over Meir, near Antwerp, in May 1944 on its return to Britain after a bombing raid.

Russell and most of the crew baled out, except for an English engineer and American pilot who were killed.

The tale of what happened to Russell, including his time spent with the Belgian resistance, his capture and time at a POW camp in Poland, is chronicled in his 1986 book 'Boys At War'. It is through the book that the trip came about.

Russell, of Lower Wilworth, Blackburn, said: "A Belgian researcher got the book. He and two others were excavating the site where the plane crashed and got in touch."

Russell and wife Bette travel to Belgium tomorrow, where researchers have organised a four-day itinerary to see where the plane crashed, various hideouts and the place where they were arrested by the German military. They even hope to meet some of the resistance members who helped Russell.

Russell said: "I'm rather apprehensive. The trip should bring back lots of memories. We're going to go to all the places where we hid, from village cottages to an opulent town house in the centre of Antwerp."

Russell will meet a member of the resistance who helped escort him and a fellow airman to the house of Van Vermulen, a leading member of the underground movement against the occupying Nazis.

The trip will have added poignancy for Bette who, at the time, was the girlfriend of one of Russell's fellow air crew, Frank Moody, who died when the plane crashed.

Russell said: "I visited Frank's parents in Huddersfield to pass on my respects when I got back to Britain. One of the people there when I arrived was Bette.

"Over the months I visited fairly often and eventually, in 1946, Bette and I got married."

Bette said: "It's going to be an emotional trip for us both. The places have so much significance."