THE family of an Accrington airman who died when his Manchester bomber crashed in Belgium during the Second World War has been found.

Belgian researcher Wim Govaerts sent a letter to the Mayor of Accrington to say he was writing a book and hoping to contact any relatives of Albert Woodcock who died in action when he was 21.

The Accrington branch of the Lancashire Family History and Heraldry Society and Helen Barrett of the local studies department at Accrington library became involved in the search.

But it was Bill Hake, secretary of the town's RAF Association, who found the airman's son.

He first tried library archives and discovered his former address in Grange Street but was disappointed to learn that the house no longer existed.

He then resorted to going through the telephone directory. "In those days if you had a son you normally called them after their father, so I decided to start with the A Woodcocks in the directory. He was the first one I tried."

Albert, of Limewood Close, Accrington, never knew his father who was killed with seven crew members at Lichtaart on March 25 1942.

His mother Annie Whiteside, now in her seventies, was three months pregnant when the tragedy happened.

Annie remarried but is now a widow and lives in Friar Court, Accrington.

She has visited the war graves in Leuven once in 1984.

She said: "It's a beautiful place and very well kept.

"It's been quite upsetting speaking to people about the war again. It has brought back such a lot of memories."

Albert said: "It feels a bit eerie to be contacted like this 55 years after it happened.

"I never met my father but I do sometimes wonder about what happened."

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