THE death of Richard Jones at the age of 93 robs us of yet another of the incredibly brave band of men who saved us from certain invasion by the Nazis.

That’s not over-dramatising the contribution of the pilots and ground crew who fought the Battle of Britain in 1940, when this country stood alone against the all-conquering Germans.

Most airmen were in their teens and many gave their lives in what must have seemed a last stand before the ground invasion began.

We use the word hero so much these days that it is rapidly becoming devalued. It should be reserved for the likes of Flt Lt Jones and those who put their lives on the line for the sake of others. None were more heroic than the pilots who staved off certain defeat in those dark days 71 years ago.

Many people had no idea that the dapper, well-spoken man who worked and lived in Witney for most of his life had played a major part in history. Sadly, it won’t be long before they are all gone.

We should treasure them while they are still with us and never, ever forget what they did.