A 99-year-old Second World War pilot returned to his former East Anglian base after nearly 80 years this weekend.

Ray Hobbs took to the skies at Horham Airfield, bringing tears to the eyes of onlookers.

The event was part of an 80th anniversary reunion tour since arriving in Horham, organised by the 95th Bomb Group Heritage Association in Horham.

From Ogden, in Utah in the United States, Mr Hobbs was the pilot of the B-17 Flying Fortress.

He was involved in seven missions during the closing stages of the war in May 1945, six of these involved dropping essential supplies to Dutch population who were starving.

East Anglian Daily Times:

He was in the UK with around 50 other US visitors, the families of men who served in the 95th Bomb Group.

Pilot Rod Wheeler, who flies his light aircraft from the airfield, was coming into land on Saturday, May 27 – his first solo landing – when he had to abort as a convoy of WW2 vehicles transporting the American visitors drove on to the airstrip.

Mr Wheeler learned that the veteran had piloted B-17s from that very airfield and then offered to take him for spin over the airfield.

East Anglian Daily Times:

Linda Woodward of the 95th Bomb Group Heritage Association, who organised the reunion, said: "He took the controls. It was very emotional. He was very emotional and the family were very emotional. It was a great effort by all the team who organised it."

Of his time in service, Mr Hobbs said: “I flew mercy missions. One to the Hague, one to Amsterdam, and four to Utrecht, dropping food to the Dutch people.

"I flew a Cook's tour over part of Germany and France. At the end of the war, I flew with my group from Horham, England, to Bradley Field, Connecticut, where we left our plane.

"The B17 planes of the 95th bomb group then flown to Kingman, Arizona, where they were destroyed. I was privileged to be at the controls of Sentimental Journey in September 2011, when I was 87 years old.”