AN amateur historian is trying to track down the family of a pilot killed in action during the Second World War.

Leonard John Endicott died, aged 30, alongside nine crew when the Whitley bomber he was flying crashed on approach into RAF St Eval in Cornwall, on July 30, 1942.

History enthusiast Spike Howells became interested in tracing the man’s relatives after hearing about the tragedy on a visit to St Eval.

He became convinced about the pilot’s links to Mid Devon after noticing the initials L.J. Endicott on Cullompton’s war memorial and, through research on genealogy websites, which revealed his wife’s name as Eileen Endicott and his father and mother as William and Annie Elizabeth Endicott.

Spike said: “I see the single poppy on the graves of these brave men and I always wonder who they are.

“I don’t know if his wife is still alive but she would be well into her 90s by now.

“I suspect their children or grand-children may still be around.”

Anyone with information can contact Spike on e-mail at spikelel@tiscali.co.uk