TRIBUTES have been paid to an “inspirational” woman who sparked a Northern Echo campaign to honour a forgotten war hero.

Betty Amlin campaigned tirelessly for a permanent memorial to Canadian airman Andrew Mynarski who was based at Middleton St George - now Durham Tees Valley Airport - during the Second World War.

When the debate about re-naming the then Teesside Airport ignited more than 11-years-ago, Mrs Amlin wrote to The Northern Echo suggesting that the site should be re-named in honour of pilot officer Mynarski.

He died trying to save a comrade from their burning Lancaster and Mrs Amlin’s letter brought his story back to life.

The Forgotten Heroes campaign followed and within a year £76,000 had been raised to commission a statue of Mynarski and have it placed within the former RCAF base near the St George Hotel.

The statue formed a focal point for the celebrations when the Mynarski Memorial Lancaster visited from Canada last August and 89-year-old Mrs Amlin, whose late husband Jimmy served with the RCAF, made sure she was there to witness the historic moment.

She also supported the annual Mynarski Memorial events and was a committed member and secretary of the Middleton St George Memorial Association.

Association chairman Geoff Hill, who has known Mrs Amlin all his life, described her as “a rock of a lady” who would be sadly missed.

He added: “She was a stalwart, she was an inspiration, definitely.

“She attended every single event and every single committee meeting; even when she was unwell.”

Northern Echo editor Peter Barron also paid tribute to Mrs Amlin and the inspirational campaign she started.

He said: “The Forgotten Hero campaign was one of the most moving and memorable campaigns in The Northern Echo’s history and it began with a simple letter to the paper from Betty Amlim who identified that it was a story that needed to be told with greater force.”

Mrs Amlin, of Sedgefield, had spent recent weeks at the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton with heart trouble and later developed a chest infection.

She died in the early hours of yesterday morning (Friday, May 8) and leaves behind a son, Edsel.