Local MP, James Sunderland attended a memorial service at St Clement Danes for the late Sqn Ldr Lawrence ‘Benny’ Goodman, who died at the age of 100.

Benny, as he was affectionally known to his friends and colleagues, was a resident of Wildridings in Bracknell. He was a WWII pilot and flew 30 missions across Europe. He was one of the last surviving pilots of the famous 617 Squadron, flying Lancasters, Spitfires and Canberras.

After the war Benny, who continued to fly until he was 93, spent much time visiting schools in the UK and Germany teaching young people about peace and reconciliation.

James said:

“On the occasion of his 100th Birthday, I met Benny and we spent a long time chatting about shared experiences: his memory was picture perfect. It was an honour to have met such a warm and wonderful person.”