Hero's daughter makes emotional return to Norfolk town where he saved 27 from 1953 floods

Reis Leming saved 27 lives in the flood that swept through Hunstanton in January 1953. He waded into the sea pulling a rubber dinghy in which he carried people to safety.

Reis Leming, who waded out to save people from the 1953 floods despite the fact he could not swim (Image: Archant)

Some 31 people perished in the storm tide that smashed through the sea defences on South Beach Road.

Had it not been for Airman Second Class Leming, then 22 and his colleagues, many more would have died.

Debra Ross looks off the Wash Monster towards the South Beach at Hunstanton, where her father saved 28 people in the 1953 floods (Image: Chris Bishop)

Mr Leming's daughter Debra Ross, who has previously visited the town, said she was amazed how her father, who passed away at the age of 81 in 2012, was still remembered in Hunstanton.

"Nowhere else do they honour American servicemen like they do here," she said. "It's phenomenal, I love it.

Reis Leming Way, named after one of the heroes of the 1953 floods (Image: Chris Bishop)

"The thing that struck Dad more than anything was he saved people, he knew that, but on all the occasions when he came back people would come up to him and shake his hand and say: 'You saved me, you saved my grandfather, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

Hunstanton also showed its gratitude the year after the floods, when the town's Catholic church hosted the wedding of Mr Leming and his high school sweetheart Mary Ann Ramsay.

Friends Maria and Eddie Rix, who got to know Mrs Ross and her husband Bill on social media, arranged for them to go out to see the town and its cliffs on board the Wash Monster whilst they were staying in thew UK.

An emotional Debra Ross looks out to sea to where she and her brother scattered some of her father's ashes (Image: Chris Bishop)

As the boat neared the lighthouse, a tearful Mrs Ross said: "We put some of Dad's ashes out there. It was just my brother Michael and I, we came down and put some of his ashes on the beach and my brother died a few weeks later."

Mrs Rix said: "She always said she'd like to see the cliffs and what better way than a ride on the Wash Monster, so I asked William Searle and he said he'd be delighted."

Debra Ross and her husband Bill on board the Wash Monster (Image: Chris Bishop)

Mr Leming was a member of what would become the US Air Force's 67th Special Operations Squadron, now based at RAF Mildenhall.

At the time of the floods, it was based at RAF Sculthorpe. A heritage centre dedicated to the former base in the nearby village has the George Medals which were presented to Mr Leming and his colleague Freeman Kilpatrick for their bravery.

Reis Leming and Freeman Kilpatricks' George Medals which they were awarded for their bravery on the night of the 1953 floods (Image: Chris Bishop)

The 67th is formally twinned with Hunstanton, in memory of the heroism of its personnel almost 70 years ago. Sixteen of the 31 who died were American servicemen or their families.

On board the Wash Monster are (from left) Maria Rix, Bill Ross, Debra Ross, Ian Brown from the RAF Sculthorpe Heritage Centre and Eddie Rix (Image: Chris Bishop)

Royal Visit

The Queen visited Hunstanton and King's Lynn in the aftermath of the 1953 floods.

Children who had been evacuated from homes in South Lynn sang her nursery rhymes.

Ian Brown, who runs RAF Sculthorpe heritage centre said The Queen recalled the terrible events of the tidal flood in Hunstanton of January 1953. (Image: RAF Sculthorpe Heritage Centre)

In February of this year, the Queen made the last private visit of her reign to the heritage centre at Sculthorpe.

After viewing exhibits which included Reis Leming and Freeman Kilpatrick's medals, she told curator Ian Brown she still remembered the terrible events of the night of January 31, 1953.