Sprowston retiree's WW2 bomber career celebrated in film

Ray Parke, 99, flew on 40 missions over Germany and Holland as a Lancaster flight engineer, carrying out crucial bombing raids in areas overrun by Nazis.

One such mission was over West Capelle in Holland which led to the liberation of the village. 

Ray with some of his crewmates (Image: Ray Parke) The role of bomber crews was so dangerous that airmen were given a two-week life expectancy and half of all who flew were killed on operations.

And now, 80 years on, his exploits during the war have been celebrated on film. 

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University of East Anglia student Finlay Brown spent many hours interviewing Ray for a feature-length documentary called "Ray's Last Mission" which follows his journey across wartorn Europe. 

The 99-year-old flew 40 Lancaster bombing missions over Germany and Holland (Image: Newsquest) Finlay, who raised £5,000 to finance the film, even travelled to Holland to film a segment and helped organise for Ray to fly in one of the last two surviving Lancaster bombers. More than 7,300 were built between 1941 and 1945.

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The film was shown to Ray at Warren Care Home in Sprowston last week where he walked the red carpet for the "premiere". 

Elizabeth Tacliad, general manager at the home, said: "We want everyone we care for to know how important they are to us.  

Ray, left, walked the red carpet for the film's premiere at his care home in Sprowston (Image: Barchester) "This film is a testament to Finlay's hard work and it was wonderful to see how happy Ray was with it. 

"The staff loved seeing the film too as Ray is so well loved within the home. 

"He is so humble about the work he did during the war but we know he played a huge part in the war effort and we tell him he's our hero every day."

The staff at the care home call Ray their hero (Image: Barchester)