War hero's nephew found after Sunday Times story

BRITISH war graves experts have traced relatives of a decorated South African World War 2 pilot who died more than 70 years ago.

Bomber Command pilot Flying Officer James Henry Steyn, then 23, is buried at one of the UK's highest and most remote grave sites. Efforts to trace his relatives for the unveiling of a new memorial on a Scottish mountain where he and five crew members died in 1941 had proved fruitless - until the Sunday Times published his story earlier this month.

Computer programmer Andre Steyn, the pilot's 60-year-old nephew, came forward after reading about the search for the pilot's relatives by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Steyn's father, Jacobus, was James's stepbrother.

Steyn, from Johannesburg, inherited his uncle's Distinguished Flying Cross.

"The medal was passed down to me as well as a Lee-Enfield .303 rifle, which I still use for hunting today. There's also a newspaper cutting - with a picture of him - reporting his death."

James died after the Royal Air Force (RAF) Avro Anson twin-engine aeroplane he was piloting crashed on a night-training mission in poor weather on Ben More Assynt in the far northwest of Scotland.

Their bodies were found in the remote Highlands region six weeks later by shepherds and buried at the remote location. The grave is marked by a stone cairn that has a plaque naming the men and a white cross. Now the war graves commission plans to replace it with a 272kg granite stone to be followed by an official commemoration.

"All I know is that he flew 43 sorties over Europe, but other than that, nothing," said Steyn.

"I lived in England between 1995 and 2001 and I tried to trace information at the British Imperial War Museum and the RAF, but there wasn't anything on him. When I think of what he did and how he died it brings a lump to my throat. He died at such a young age. [It is] such a shame."

The newspaper article on his death said James was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in January 1941 "in recognition of gallantry and devotion to duty in the execution of air operations" and promoted to flying officer.

He was born in Ladysmith and educated at Forest High School in Johannesburg before receiving military training in the Rand Light Infantry. He was a clerk with the South African Railways in Roode-poort before leaving South Africa in February 1939 to join the RAF.

Matt Morris, from the war graves commission, said: "I'm very grateful to the Sunday Times for running the story and allowing us to get in contact with Flying Officer Steyn's family.

"Without the story we probably would not have anyone there representing him."