At the entrance to Heaven he’ll stand; and stare wonderingly as the Pearly Gates open gently for him. Wrapped up in a warm glow he’ll see long lost friends missing in battle waiting to greet him, boys he’d forgotten and men for whom he’d shed a tear . . .and then the lads whose aircraft had fallen to his guns, shaking his hand and patting him gently on the shoulder.

‘Welcome Johnny’, they’ll say.

All too soon our veterans will be gone forever. It’s almost too sad to bear thinking about.