Mi Amigo campaigner Tony Foulds treated to tour of Sheffield's Cutlers' Hall

Tony has been heralDed for his role in ensuring a military flypast took place over the city to commemorate the 75th anniversary since the American bomber crashed into a Sheffield park.

Since being thrust into the spotlight in recent months, he has received numerous awards and been flooded with offers of exciting experiences as people clamour to show their appreciation of his efforts.

His most recent treat was a guided tour of the city’s landmark Cutlers’ Hall on Monday by the Master and Mistress Cutler, Nick and Liz Cragg, along with archivist Dr Joan Unwin,

He learned about how the building, which dates back to 1832, is home to the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire – a trade guild of metalworkers based in the city.

The 83-year-old Lowedges man has a special interest in the steel industry as he himself used to work as a grinder for William Ward & Son at Centenary Works in Woodseats.

Master Cutler Nick Cragg said: "When I first met Tony at an event in the Town Hall I discovered that, despite being very well read on the history of Sheffield, he had never been in the Cutlers' Hall.

“He was clearly very knowledgeable about all aspects of Sheffield’s industrial heritage and was very interested all aspects of our links which extend back many centuries.

“One of the most interesting topics was the list of the Master Cutlers going back to Robert Sorsby in 1624. The unbroken list of Master Cutlers includes some iconic family names associated with the city’s history, such as Brown, Firth, Lee, Tozer, Vickers and Ward.”

Tony has been invited back for a chat about the Little Mesters, who were a network of craftspeople working out of small workshops or from their own homes.

Now a grandfather-of-four, Tony was only a young boy when he witnessed the badly damaged B-17 Flying Fortress, known as Mi Amigo, crash into Endcliffe Park in 1944, killing all 10 crewmen on board.

The bomber had completed a daring day time raid on the Aalborg airfield in occupied Denmark but was hit in the attack and limped back over the North Sea.

It is believed the crew was attempting to make an emergency landing on the field – but when they spotted Tony and his friends on the grass they diverted and crashed into a nearby wooded area to avoid landing on them.

The pilot, lieutenant John Kriegshauser, was awarded a posthumous Distinguished Flying Cross for minimising loss of life.

Their ultimate sacrifice left Tony with feelings of deep-seated guilt and he has visited the scene and tended to the memorial regularly ever since.

Since the flypast in February, he has won plaudits for his diligence, and was recently moved to tears when presented with his own star on the Sheffield Legends Walk Of Fame.