AFTER more than a decade of campaigning, a 95-year-old Second World War hero has admitted defeat in his battle to ensure his comrades receive true recognition.

Wing Commander Jim Wright, from Abingdon, has fought tirelessly for Bomber Command veterans to receive a campaign medal.

But after the Government recently refused a final plea, he has accepted his long campaign, which began in 2005, is at an end due to his age and his deteriorating health.

During the Second World War, Bomber Command carried out daring missions over enemy territory but suffered catastrophic losses. A total of 55,573 aircrew were killed out of its125,000 men as they made a huge difference to the war effort.

In December 2012, the Government awarded Bomber Command veterans a bronze clasp to attach to their Second World War campaign medal, following a review by diplomat Sir John Holmes.

But the former RAF navigator labelled this an “insignificant miserable little clasp” and said his comrades deserved a proper campaign medal.

After this year's General Election, Mr Wright, who flew 43 wartime missions and won various other medals, pushed for a parliamentary debate one final time but was turned down.

Mr Wright said: "We did our best to win, in spite of political opposition, but failed to reach the target.

"I accept these decisions are unlikely to change and I will have to give up my own 12-year long drive to obtain a campaign medal for all BC air and essential ground staff.

"I am now too old and infirm at 95 but I want to thank all my supporters, veterans and others, for giving me such splendid support."

Mr Wright served with squadrons 61, 630 and 97 during the war as a Flight Lieutenant. He was later promoted to Wing Commander and stayed in the RAF until 1976.

The father-of-three said he was giving up his own campaign but called for people to write to their MPs to keep the battle going.

He said a 'brush with death' earlier this year pressed home the urgency of the campaign but that he was now unable to continue.

He said: "Time is not on the veterans' side - they deserve to have the case for a medal debated properly in Parliament, before the 100th anniversary of the RAF's creation in April next year.

"It will do the British Government no good to be trying to celebrate the centenary while still having to defend the disgraceful decision to deny Bomber Command a campaign medal."

Sandra Jones' uncle Ronnie Boone was in the Bomber Command and died in June 1943 aged just 20.

A sergeant in the 35th Squadron Pathfinders, he was flying over the Netherlands when his plane was shot down.

Mrs Jones, from Kidlington, said he and the many others who risked and gave their lives thoroughly deserved a medal.

She said: "The clasp they received is a just a bar, about an eighth of an inch long - it's disgusting really.

"The Arctic Convoys received a medal recently and the Bomber Command definitely deserve one - both those who died and those veterans still alive.

"Their actions shortened the war, and many died in doing so, but Winston Churchill decided they weren't good enough and they have been forgotten about.

She added: "There are fewer and fewer veterans left every year and most of them are in their nineties now, there's not much time left to issue the medal."

The 60-year-old and her husband Pete have been collecting stories from veterans to include at the International Bomber Command Centre.

She said the project was designed to keep the stories of the Bomber Command alive and ensure they were not forgotten in future generations - as they had been by the Government.

Following the snap General Election earlier this year Mr Wright sensed one final chance for the new cohort of MPs to debate the possibility of a medal and initiate a review.

But the Ministry of Defence responded: "Please let me start by assuring you the Government and nation has enormous admiration and respect for the sacrifice made by RAF Bomber Command during World War Two.

"This contribution was a significant factor in final victory for the Allied nations.

"I regret to inform you there is very little I can add to the previous responses - the MOD has no plans to review Sir John Holmes's decision regarding the issue of a Bomber Command Clasp as part of his review on Military Medals."