HAMPSHIRE has said goodbye to one of its most decorated Second World War RAF heroes.

Yesterday, the county waved a fond farewell to Southampton flying ace Herbert "Tap" Tappin, who died aged 88.

Tap was born in 1918. Mesmerised by the activity in the skies over the city, the young Tap would spend his pocket money going on "joyrides" at the local aerodrome.

His parents wanted him to become a schoolmaster - but he told his teacher that when he grew up he wanted to become an aviator.

He attended Itchen Secondary School, Sholing, Southampton.

At the age of 19, Tap fulfilled his dream when he joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve.

Soon after he was flying solo and was quickly earmarked for great things by his instructors.

He found work as a flight instructor in Cambridge, where he taught many fighter pilots - including Battle of Britain legend Johnnie Johnson - to fly.

Decorated He soon joined the RAF where he flew many wartime sorties and was awarded the prestigious Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in 1942 for his part in the Dieppe raid.

But it was in February 1944 that he flew his most famous - and dangerous - sortie, gunning down an enemy flying boat over the south of France.

Just 26 at the time, he courageously chased the six-engine Blohm and Voss 222 flying boat in his Mosquito plane, before shooting it down in a ball of flames over Biscarosse near Bordeaux.

The story made the front page of the Daily Echo - and just weeks later he was awarded a Bar to his DFC.

Later that year, Tap was stationed as Wing Commander at RAF Twinwood in Bedford when popular musician Glenn Miller boarded a flight to Paris - and was never seen again.

Following the war years he took up instructing again, working at Hamble College of Air Training.

After retiring in 1972 with the rank of Wing Commander, he continued flying, often shuttling Lord and Lady Astor to and from horse races around the country.

In 1981, Tap along with other British and German war veterans returned to Bicarosse to watch a German flying boat raised from the nearby lake.

In his later years Tap, known to his family as Bert, lived in Brighton with his wife Molly and stepchildren Diana and Chris.

In 2002 he helped British and Canadian war veterans plant a tree at Michelham Priory, Sussex, at a remembrance service on the 60th anniversary of the Dieppe raids.

He engaged himself in community life and also indulged in his other passion - motor racing.

"You absolutely did not call him on grand prix weekends," his niece Dianne Burns recalled.

"He would watch for hours and hours, and interruptions were certainly not welcome."

Proud Remembering her uncle, Mrs Burns, of Bishop's Waltham, said: "He was so proud of what he did but he never mentioned his achievements to others and he didn't even wear his medals.

"He was very unassuming, and he hated anyone making a fuss over him. He always had interesting stories to tell and was generous of spirit and kind too."

His funeral was held at Woodvale Crematorium in Brighton.