World War Two: Pilot's daughter thanks man who found dog tag in Essex

Lt Col Timony shot down two enemy planes while flying out of Boxted airfield

The daughter of a US pilot whose World War Two dog tag was found at an airfield 40 years ago has thanked the man who discovered it.

Mark Manning found Lt Col Eugene Timony's tag in Boxted, Essex in 1980.

He posted about it on Facebook last month and a local history enthusiast tracked down the serviceman's daughter, Marissa Timony, in Texas.

She said she was pleased people in the UK were interested in the wartime exploits of her late father.

"Thank you for your support of keeping history alive," she wrote in an email to Mr Manning.

Lt Col Timony flew a P-47 aircraft, known as a Thunderbolt, which was named Moptop's Pride after his girlfriend at the time

Lt Col Timony, who was from Lakewood, Ohio, flew a P-47 aircraft, known as a Thunderbolt, and shot down two enemy planes while flying out of Boxted airfield, near Colchester.

He survived the war, during which he flew in 76 missions, and went on to fight in Korea and Vietnam, before he died aged 69.

Each serviceman was issued with two tags during the war. Mr Manning believes the tag may have been a duplicate held by the administration department on the airbase, which was built for the United States Air Force in 1943 and briefly used after the war by the RAF until it was closed in 1947.

Mr Manning found the dog tag along with several others, which he kept in a box for the last 40 years

He said it felt like history had been brought to life by finding the pilot's daughter.

"It's a very personal possession and totally unique. It has been really nice to learn more about him," he said.

"These chaps were heroes, they are the great aerial warriors of the past and they deserve recognition."

Mr Manning is hoping the tag can be displayed at Boxted Airfield Museum, which Ms Timony agreed would be a nice idea.

He found several others dog tags at the same time, which he has kept in a box.

He managed to reunite one of the other tags with its owner, Col Walker Mahurin, of the USAF, fifteen years ago.

"I still have several others in the box and this has really encouraged me to have another look at them and work out who they belonged to," he said.