AN RAF gunner who became known the world over for his part in the bombings of Dresden, Nuremberg and Berlin during the Second World War has died aged 88.

Peter Twinn, of Dukes Avenue in Theydon Bois, appeared in countless TV documentaries, articles and books as one of the few participating survivors prepared to recount his experiences of the controversial raids.

Mr Twinn, who was awarded a DFC medal for bravery, spent the war providing covering fire cooped up in a bubble at the rear of a Lancaster Bomber.

His role as a 'Tail-end Charlie' was notoriously risky – only one in three survived the war.

While his crew were hailed as heroes at the time, revisionist historians subsequently criticised the bombing of Dresden as unjustified.

But Mr Twinn, who later became president of the Epping and District Royal British Legion, remained unfazed, and happily spoke out to give his views on the controversy.

“He said the point is when they were actually bombing the place they didn't think of those that were being killed. You went out, did your job and tried to get home if you could,” said his widow Marjorie, 80.

“His attitude was why should we apologise when the Germans raised Coventry and London to the ground?”

However Mr Twinn's war was about far more than Dresden.

“He got into a few scrapes,” said Marjorie. “There was one occasion when his heating suit packed up. The panel on his bit of the plane had been removed to give him a better view but he was left freezing.

“He was so cold by the end of it they had to lift him out of the plane.”

Mr Twinn also kept meticulous records, and would collect newspaper coverage of his missions – correcting inaccuracies and propaganda in the margins.

The priceless collection is now being handed over to the Imperial War Museum.

Mr Twinn, who died after a battle with cancer, is survived by his wife Marjorie, two daughters from a previous marriage, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at St Mary's Church in Theydon Bois at 1.30pm on Friday February 5.