Ken Underwood visits tree in Little Saxham, near Bury St Edmunds, where his father died during World War Two

An American has returned to Suffolk to visit the tree where his father died during World War Two, marking the 80th anniversary of his death.

Second Lieutenant Kenneth H. Underwood was killed on May 18, 1944 when his P-38 Lightning aircraft crashed during a training mission in Bury St Edmunds.

The tragedy left his wife, Alice Underwood, seven months pregnant with a son he would never meet.

Eighty years later, Ken Underwood, 79, along with his daughter Naomi, have travelled across the pond to visit the oak tree in Little Saxham, just outside Bury, where the plane crashed.

Ken said: “It’s great to visit once again and I’m thrilled to bring Naomi with me – it’s a way of passing on my father’s memory which I hope she will one day pass down to her children too.”

“I’m grateful to still be here after all these years and to be able to see the tree again.

“The Brits have so much respect for history and it’s a great honour to be here to remember my father.”

Mystery surrounded the incident for decades and as a boy, Ken knew he had to travel to discover what happened – and after years of research, he was able to find the tree and visit it in 1992.

Ken and Naomi visited the tree on Saturday guided by village historian Bob Jones who was able to take them to the spot where the aircraft crashed.

Over the weekend, the pair explored Bury as well as Ipswich before making their way to Madingley to lay a wreath at the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial.

In a tribute to his grandfather, Ken’s son now serves as a fighter pilot in the USAF and proudly wears the same WWII wings his grandfather once donned.