JUST over 60 years ago this week London took to the streets to celebrate the first anniversary of victory in the Second World War. And one young man from Walthamstow enjoyed a remarkably unique view of it all.

DENNIS Lundy was just 18-years-old when he first signed up to the armed forces in 1941.

As a worker for an engineering firm, Mr Lundy was actually exempt from conscription, such was the important nature of his work.

But the lure of a chance ride on his friend’s 600 cc motorbike to an RAF recruiting office in Stratford changed all that.

Within months he was all signed up and learning to fly planes in Canada.

Over the next few years he enjoyed a distinguished career flying hundreds of missions, including bombing raids over Germany and France.

Liked many of the men and women who made up Britain’s armed forces, his wartime story is alone worthy of attention, but one unique aspect of his RAF career happened after the war, exactly 63 years ago this week.

Back in London, in June 1946, the capital was preparing to celebrate the first anniversary of the nation’s victory in the war.

A large air display of nine Lancasters bombers had been planned, and large crowds - including the “King and Queen” - took to the streets for a special parade.

But bad weather forced the dramatic last-minute cancellation of the display.

Not one to disappoint the crowds, Mr Lundy took the controls of his own Lancaster, and took to the skies in a solo flight.

And another remarkable thing about it was his passengers - BBC journalist legend Richard Dimbleby hitched a ride, as did radio star Raymond Glendenning, helping them to give a powerful commentary of the celebrations below.

An ecstatic local Guardian report at the time was so impressed it heaped praise on “the young airman from Walthamstow who thrilled the merry-making crowds.”

The flight would be Mr Lundy’s last for the RAF.

But he was to go on to have a distinguished 27-year-long career as a pilot for British Airways, before working for a further 12 years assisting the headmaster at Walthamstow’s George Monoux’s College.

Now 87, Mr Lundy is enjoying his retirement with his wife Phyllis, 79, and only last month the pair celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, much to the joy of the couple’s two daughters and three grandchildren.