The pensioner who broke down in tears after thousands joined him for a flypast in memory of ten Second World War heroes whose plane crashed to avoid him has gone back to his day job attending the memorial in their honour.

Tony Foulds travelled his usual seven miles, by foot and by bus from his home in Sheffield, the day after 12,000 people joined him at the site where he witnessed the B-17 Flying Fortress Mi Amigo crash in front of him on February 22, 1944.

Wellwishers have called on the 82-year-old to be honoured by the Queen for his dedication to the Mi Amigo's crew, where he spends six days a week performing maintenance work on the memorial.

Tony Foulds talks with well-wishers in front of the memorial to the crew of, an American bomber in Endcliffe Park, Sheffield

Tony Foulds has his photo taken with well-wishers in front of the memorial to the crew of, an American bomber, in Endcliffe Park

Mr Foulds was just eight-years-old when a badly-damaged bomber limped over the roof of nearby homes and crashed into a wooded area, in an apparent bid to avoid him and his friends who were playing in a nearby field.

He has since dedicated his life to the crew, believing he was responsible for their death.

Tony Foulds has his photo taken with well-wishers in front of the memorial on Saturday morning

Dozens of people stopped the pensioners to talk to him and urged him to stop being guilty.

One older gentleman told Mr Foulds : 'You need to stop this talk of feeling guilty.

Planes taking part in the flypast today F-15E Strike Eagles , from RAF Lakenheath

, from RAF Lakenheath KC-135 Stratotanker

MC-130J Commando II

CV-22 Osprey , from RAF Mildenhall

, from RAF Mildenhall Typhoon , from RAF Coningsby

, from RAF Coningsby Dakota , from RAF Coningsby Advertisement

'It was the Germans who killed those men, not you. You were a kid. It wasn't your fault.'

Another shook him briskly by the hand and said: 'You deserve a knighthood. It'll be travesty if they don't give you one.'

Mr Foulds said: 'It's just amazing. They've not stopped just coming up and shaking my hand.

'I had a letter from an American this morning. It said this proves what we've always thought, that you Brits do love us.'

The flypast included fighters from the U.S. Air Force and the RAF and was watched by around 12,000 people in the park, as well as being broadcast around the world.

An emotional Tony Foulds wipes away tears from his eyes as the military flypast comes over Endcliffe Park in Sheffield today

A Hercules leading an Osprey is seen over Endcliffe Park in Sheffield for the emotional flypast this morning

A Battle of Britain Dakota plane takes part in the flypast over Endcliffe Park in Sheffield this morning

He has dedicated seven decades of his life to the memory of the airmen he never met, spending up to six days a week tending the memorial to them. Mr Foulds said: 'It's more than bravery, what they did. They saved me.'

The salute - including F-15E Strike Eagles from the USAF and an RAF Typhoon - was arranged after BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker met Mr Foulds during a walk in the park six weeks ago and started a social media campaign.

Walker used the hashtag #GetTonyAFlyPast, which also caught the attention of the Americans - and soon after Mr Foulds was told on live TV that his dream would come true - changing the hashtag to #TonyGotHisFlyPast.

Mr Foulds watches from Endcliffe Park in Sheffield, as warplanes from Britain and the US stage a flypast tribute today

Walker, who was watching from Tanzania where is working with Comic Relief, was left in tears as he watched on TV. This morning, #TonyGotAFlyPast was top trend on Twitter in the United Kingdom after the flypast took place.

The event to mark the 75th anniversary of the crash followed a campaign by BBC Breakfast's Dan Walker, who bumped into Mr Foulds while walking his dog in the park last month.

Walker, who is currently in Tanzania preparing to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief, is now leading the calls for the pensioner to be officially recognised.

He posted on Twitter: 'The next step is getting Tony an honour from the Queen. Please retweet & like this and I'll use this in the submission.'

Yesterday, Walker admitted he 'couldn't talk' during the flypast, and Mr Foulds waved at the planes as they performed the remembrance act. Many people had gathered with picnics and some wore Second World War uniforms.

Veterans could be seen in the park wearing medals, and coffee stalls and sandwich vans were enjoying a brisk trade on the cold but clear morning.

Thousands of people turned out at Endcliffe Park in Sheffield for the pensioner to see his lifelong dream fulfilled today

Shortly before the flypast started, Mr Foulds said: 'This is not for me, it's for them - my lads. They're family, they are family to me.'

Overcome by emotion, he wiped away tears as he reacted to the flypast. He said: 'Thank you, I can't believe all this. This is unbelievable to me.'

A crowd of thousands of people cheered following the flypast, with a clear day meaning the audience had a good view of the planes flying over.

Speaking earlier on BBC Breakfast, Mr Foulds told the crowds: 'Thank you very much for coming, it's lovely see you. I can't wait to get among you.'

The programme also showed footage of Mr Foulds meeting the families of some of the airmen who lost their lives in the crash 75 years ago.

He said: 'I never thought I would ever meet any of the families of this pilot and crew.' The pensioner described them as 'lovely, lovely people'.

And Mr Foulds told Charlie Stayt and Steph McGovern on BBC Breakfast today: 'Thank you very much, I can't believe it. Yorkshire people, this is what they're like.

'It started off as more or less nothing, and to see how many people have actually looked and taken note - it's for these lads (the ten airmen).

'Dan (Walker) wouldn't tell me nothing (about today's memorial). I have no idea what's happening. He's kept it away from me as usual.'

Mr Foulds waits at Endcliffe Park in Sheffield today ahead of seeing his lifelong dream of a flypast over his memorial fulfilled

Speaking to the crowd, he said: 'Thank you very much for coming, it's lovely to see you - can't wait to get among you.'

Mr Foulds broke down in tears on BBC Breakfast as the names of the 10 airmen were read out at the memorial. The Last Post was also played.

Mr Foulds had previously said of the airmen: 'If it hadn't have been for them, I wouldn't be here with my family. It's more than bravery, what they did. They saved me, and I mean saved me.'

Speaking from Tanzania, Dan Walker told Mr Foulds: 'The last six weeks have been remarkable from my point of view.

'From you and I meeting on a dog walk in the park in the first week of January to me asking how you were - that's how it all started - you telling me this unbelievable story and saying you'd love a flypast for the 75th anniversary, and here we are now.

'I know you jokingly asked everybody for a tenner who are there at the park today, but it's not about the money, it's never been about you.

'Tony, it's always been about those ten men who you think saved your life 75 years ago.'

Mr Foulds replied: 'I know they've saved my life, I didn't just think it - they did. If it hadn't been for them, I wouldn't be here for my family.'

He added: 'It's strange - I can't believe this, this is unbelievable.'