Teresa Woods, of Croxton Kerrial, and her family travelled to Bedale, North Yorkshire, recently for the welcome home parade of 34 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment.

Marcin, known affectionately as 'Big Ted', was the only one not to return.

Mrs Woods said: "All mothers who lose a son in a war zone receive the Elizabeth Cross and a framed commemorative scroll.

"It was a day of great pride and great sadness because we could see the joy of the other families on the safe return of their loved ones but felt devastated as Marcin wasn't among them. I was in a state of complete and utter disbelief.

"He was honoured and The Last Post was played and the RAF had set aside a private room for us to meet 10 of Marcin's closest friends and comrades.

"They wanted to meet me and tell me what Marcin was like to be with on tour.

"They said he was the one who always had a smile on his face, who could cheer everyone up - he was their morale booster.

"Everyone felt safe with him and wanted to be in his gang.

"A big group of his friends is planning to come down to Melton next month to visit his grave and have lunch with us. They are wonderful boys and clearly still traumatised by what happened."

Cpl Wojtak, an RAF gunner, was on his fourth tour of Aghanistan, based at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province.

He had volunteered as one of the squadron's trauma risk managers and was also appointed fire team commander.

He was killed when commanding a patrol vehicle when a roadside bomb exploded on October 1. He was just 24 and the first in his squadron to perish in the war against the Taliban.

On the day of his funeral thousands of Melton people lined the streets as his funeral cortege processed from the Polish Church in Sandy Lane to Thorpe Road Cemetery in an emotional and dignified farewell.

Mrs Woods said: "The way the people of Melton honoured Marcin made me feel enormously proud of him and I'd like to thank them again. He had really touched them.

"And since Christmas another £1,000 has been donated to Help for Heroes in Marcin's memory which is amazing. It takes the total to £4,000 for that charity with £1,000 donated to the RAF Benevolent Fund."