There were three great passions in the life of Reg Chandler. Cycling, cricket - and his girlfriend Elizabeth. The first two brought their fair share of wins and medals. The third brought him joy and happiness that proved to be tragically short lived.

 For just six weeks after Reg and Betty were married at St John The Baptist church at Meols on the Wirral peninsular - just across the River Mersey from Reg’s family home in Liverpool - came the news that he was missing, presumed dead, north of Borkum in Germany.

Warrant Officer Chandler and his crewmates had begun that fateful day - 25th November, 1944 - aboard Wellington Xlll number H524. But it developed hydraulic trouble and they returned to base, at RAF Langham, Norfolk, where they switched to replacement Wellington HZ649.

Two hours later they were shot down off the German coast. The only clue was black smoke on the surface of the water - “resembling an aircraft on fire” - spotted at 01.35 hours.

Today, Reg’s heroism is honoured at the Runnymede Memorial (Panel 213). But more tragedy was to befall the family. Less than a year after Reg lost his life, his older brother Percy - known as Pip - also lost his life while serving in the Far East with the Royal Navy.

He is buried at Kranji War Cemetery in Singapore.

Fortunately, the oldest of the three Chandler brothers - Tom - survived the war, as did their only sister Marion, who became the lifetime best friend of Reg’s widow Betty. And Marion subsequently married yet another war hero, W/O Patrick Barry DFM, a rear gunner on a Lancaster bomber who was wounded during the Peenemunde raid.

The names of Reg and Pip live on thanks to the War Graves Commission - and also within the family. As Tom’s only child was a daughter, this branch of the Chandlers looked to be coming to an end. But Reg and Pip’s great nephew Michael Johnson had other ideas, and changed his surname to Chandler in honour of his forebears. Michael now has two sons of his own - Harrison and Ethan - who proudly carry the Chandler surname, and Air Cadet Harrison is hoping to pursue his own career in the RAF.