A WAR veteran has helped shed further light on the story of a Spitfire pilot from Enfield who was killed during the Second World War.

Donald Collins, 88, saw the story of Sgt Frank Waller in the Enfield Independent.

Sgt Waller was killed on December 14 1939 and the son of his then fiancee is building a model spitfire in the pilot's memory as a lasting tribute.

Michel Walker, the son of Betty Walker who was engaged to marry Sgt Waller in 1939, appealed through the paper for information on the pilot.

Mr Collins said seeing the pilot's photo on the front page had stirred long forgotten memories.

He said: "Seeing Frank Waller on the front page brought back memories. I hadn't thought of him for 70 years. I didn't know him personally - but I'm sure he had a younger brother in the 3rd Enfield Company of the Boys Brigade. I was 17 at the time and we formed a guard of honour at the funeral of Sgt Waller.

"The RAF assembled at the cemetery and fired shots over the grave."

Mr Collins, who lives in Edmonton, served for five years in the Royal Army Service Corps.

He added: "They believed his plane had crashed into a hillside, I believe he was at an airfield in Cambridgeshire at the time."

Mr Walker, 55, lives in Texas. He wants to dedicate a brass plaque to accompany the scale flying model in the memory of Sgt Waller. He is appealing for anyone with any more information or photographs about Sgt Waller and his plane to help him recreate his detailed replica.

Anyone with information can email timesnews@london.newsquest.co.uk or call 0208 359 5914.