Raimund Sanders Draper: How a WWII Spitfire pilot gave his life to save 1,000 children

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A WWII Spitfire pilot who gave his life to save 1,000 children when his engines failed has been remembered by a former pupil.

Flying Officer Raimund Sanders Draper, also known as 'Smudge', stayed in the cockpit to steer his plane away from a school in Hornchurch.

The plane came to a stop against the school wall saving the lives of all those inside, including former pupil Tom Fitch.

"I've got three grandchildren. But if things hadn't worked out that way that day they wouldn't be here," Tom told ITV News London.

Raimund was an American volunteer in the RAF based at Hornchurch airfield which was a key military site in the Second World War.

Following his heroic actions on 24 March 1943 pupils were able to return to the classroom just half an hour later.

The school was renamed Sanders Draper School in the 1970s in honour of Raimund and changed in 2014 to Sanders School.

But the current headmaster wants the name to revert back to Sanders Draper to help preserve the memory.

"I think he inspires all of us that everyone can be a hero and it's about us thinking about our actions and our decisions to do what the right thing is in the right situation," said headteacher Stuart Brooks.