A FORMER Second World War airman finally got to experience what it was like to jump out of a plane for his 92nd birthday.

Great grandad-of-13 Bill Marlow plummeted 18,000 feet towards the ground to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support nurses.

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The father-of-two was called up into the armed forces at 17 and became the rear gunner of a Vickers Wellington bomber.

Luckily, the former Accrington Road Secondary Modern pupil, who grew up in Blackburn’s Mill Hill, never had to use the parachute he took with him while on flying manoeuvres.

After returning from war, the Knuzden resident spent 26 years as a police officer in Blackburn and had previously taken on challenges.

For his 84th birthday, the grandfather-of-13 swam 84 lengths and spent the next several years repeating the event.

But for his latest birthday challenge, Mr Marlow said he wanted to do something a bit different.

He said: “The experience was out of this world, it was amazing to see the ground from so high up. I really enjoyed myself and I’m so happy I got to do it.

“I felt very small as the world looks rather big from all the way up there, but I’m glad I got down safely.

“I don’t think I will be doing it again, but I would recommend anyone else to do it.

“I was finally able to tick it off my bucket list.

“The swimming was taking a bit too long but I wanted to keep raising money, this seemed like a great idea. I was quite looking forward to diving out of the plane. I was one of the fortunate ones who never had to use a parachute or jump out of a plane.

“When I used to fly in the war, the crew didn’t think about the dangers, it was like a big adventure. We never thought we would get shot down.

Mr Marlow said he wanted to raise as much money as he could for the nurses with Sunday’s challenge.

He said: “I really admire the charity, they do some amazing, wonderful things that I could never do in a million years.”

A Macmillan Cancer Support spokesman said: “Bill is a fantastic supporter of Macmillan and we’re incredibly grateful.”

Another incredible OAP took to the skies this week. The mayor of Chorley, Doreen Dickinson, also did a skydive for The Alzheimer’s Society. Doreen, 83, decided she wanted to take up a sponsored challenge during her year in office and plumped for the tandem freefall parachute jump.