The nephew of one of the people on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has taken an emotional journey to Ukraine looking to resolve the still unanswered questions around his uncle’s death.

Glenn Thomas, 49, was one of the 10 British victims on board the Boeing 777 when it was shot down in July, killing all 298 passengers and crew.

The communications officer was with six colleagues from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on their way to an Aids conference in Australia when he died, leaving behind his partner, Claudio Manoel Villaca-Vanetta, twin sister Tracey Withers and her son, Jordan.

As the conflict raged in rebel-controlled Donetsk, the family had to wait until October to hold his funeral. Two months later, Mr Withers was on a plane to Kiev, re-tracing part of his uncle’s fatal journey for BBC Inside Out documentary MH17: In Search of the Truth.

Glenn Thomas was one of the British victims killed when the flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine (WHO/PA Wire)

Speaking to The Independent after his return, the 23-year-old said it was “one of the best things” he had ever done, although questions remained.

“We always knew it would be difficult to get answers when no one seems to have any but for me it was more about speaking to people who had been there and comparing stories,” he added.

Mr Withers, a law graduate from Blackpool, visited Kiev before flying to meet the relatives of other victims in Rotterdam and Newcastle.

He was not allowed to go to the crash site for security reasons as fighting continues around Hrabove, Donetsk Oblast.

Calling it “the world’s biggest crime scene”, he criticised the world’s media for losing focus on MH17. “The news moved on but I live it every day,” he added.

Jordan Withers left home in Blackpool to search for answers (BBC)

Mr Withers had just finished his degree at Chester University when MH17 disappeared from radar on 17 November, leaving him and his parents frantically calling Malaysia Airlines for hours before having their worst fears confirmed.

Only months before, he had joined his uncle at WHO as an intern and visited him for a holiday in Geneva, Switzerland, where Mr Thomas lived with his partner.

“Me and my sister were like his children,” he added. “I can’t put into words how much I miss him and he shouldn't have lost his life the way he did.”

Mr Thomas, who previously worked as a BBC producer, was one of the first British casualties to be named after the disaster, prompting an outpouring of grief from colleagues and friends who called him “a wonderful person and a great professional”.

In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Show all 109 1 /109 In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A man cycles past a piece of the wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Petropavlivka, Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Dutch military personnel carry a coffin containing the remains of the victims of the MH17 plane crash to a hearse at the airbase in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. A Dutch Air Force C-130 Hercules plane and an Australian Royal Australian Air Force C17 transport plane brought back 74 more coffins containing remains of the victims of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 plane crash, from Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine to the Eindhoven air base in the Netherlands In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A couple is backdropped by pictures of victims of the MH17 air crash during a memorial concert in Kharkiv, Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A man lights a candle as family and friends attend a multi-faith service at St. Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne for those who lost their lives on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A woman cries after leaving a photograph (L) on the altar during a multi-faith service at St. Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne for those who lost their lives on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Sympathizers hug in front of flowers tribute at the entrance to the Korporaal van Oudheusdenkazerne, army barracks, in Hilversum, The Netherlands, where bodies of the people killed in the Malaysia Airlines MH17 air crash in Ukraine will be identified In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Angela (R) and George Dyczynski (L), walk past a Flight MH-17 memorial after arriving at Schiphol Airport, the Netherlands. Mr and Mrs Dyczynski have flown from Perth, Australia, to search for their daughter, Fatima, who was on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH-17 which crashed in the Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 The tower and airport buildings are reflected in the window of a terminal building as an airline hostess arranges floral tributes placed at the the Schiphol Airport, near Amsterdam, The Netherlands In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Members of the church share their grief at a Multifaith memorial service held for victims of the MH17 disaster at St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne, Australia In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 The column of funeral hearses drive near Boxtel after leaving the airbase in Eindhoven to Hilversum, The Netherlands, after the arrival of a Dutch Air Force C-130 Hercules plane and an Australian Royal Australian Air Force C17 transport plane with the first bodies of the 298 victims of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 plane crash in eastern Ukraine arrives from Kharkiv, Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A procession of hearses carrying the bodies of victims in the Malaysia Airlines flight MH-17 crash, depart after a ceremony at Eindhoven Airbase, the Netherlands In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 (L-R) King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at the airbase in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, during the arrival of a Dutch Air Force C-130 Hercules plane and an Australian Royal Australian Air Force C17 transport plane with the first bodies of the 298 victims of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 plane crash in eastern Ukraine arrives from Kharkiv, Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Bodies of victims in the Malaysia Airlines flight MH-17 crash are transferred to funeral hearses by Dutch military personnel during a ceremony at Eindhoven Airbase, the Netherlands. The bodies were flown from Kharkiv, Ukraine, to the Netherlands after being recovered from the crash site In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Relatives of victims of the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 react as people wearing white clothes gather in memory of the victims, in Amsterdam In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 People release white balloons in the air during a silent march in memory of the victims of the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, on July 23, 2014 in Amsterdam Getty Images In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 People gather during a silent march in memory of the victims of MH17, in Amsterdam Getty Images In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Hearses carry coffins containing unidentified bodies from the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 leave the airport in Eindhoven, Netherlands EPA In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A column of funeral hearses carrying the bodies of Dutch passengers after leaving the airbase in Eindhoven EPA In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 The extent of the wreckage at the site where Malaysia Airlines MH17 crashed near Hrabove (Grabovo) close to Donetsk Reuters In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A Malaysian man lights up candles during a vigil in remembrance for passengers and crew of the Malaysian Airline flight MH370 & MH17 in Petaling Jaya near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia EPA In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Belongings of victims are pictured at the crash site of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in a field near the village of Grabove, in the Donetsk region AFP In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Flowers lie on the tarmac of Kharkiv airport as a Hercules transport aircraft, belonging to the Royal Dutch Airforce, prepares to take off AFP In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Honour guards load a coffin of one of the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine on to a transport plane heading to the Netherlands at Kharkiv airport In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A coffin containing the body of a victim of the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is loaded onto a plane for transport to the Netherlands during a departure ceremony in Kharkiv, Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A coffin containing the body of a victim of the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is loaded onto a plane for transport to the Netherlands during a departure ceremony on July 23, 2014 in Kharkiv, Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Honour guards take part in a ceremony with coffins of some of the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine before they are being loaded on to a transport plane heading to the Netherlands at Kharkiv airport In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A coffin containing the body of a victim of the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is loaded onto a plane for transport to the Netherlands during a departure ceremony in Kharkiv, Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Dutch flags fly half-staff in honour of 3 citizens, a mother,17 year old daughter and 13 year old son were among the victims of flight MH17 in Delft, Netherlands In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 On-lookers during a ramp ceremony at Kharkiv Aiport In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A worker uses a forklift to load coffins containing some of the remains of the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine on to a transport plane before they head to the Netherlands at Kharkiv airport In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 People lay coffins containing some of the remains of the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine on the tarmac before loading them on a transport plane heading towards the Netherlands at Kharkiv airport In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Ukrainian officials attend a farewell ceremony near the transport plane used to carry some of the remains of the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine, before it heads off to the Netherlands at Kharkiv airport In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 The train carrying the bodies recovered from the downed Malaysian flight MH17 arrives at the Malyshev Plant, in the government-held Ukrainian city of Kharkiv In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A Ukrainian policeman watches as a train carrying the remains of the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine arrives in the city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Police officers secure a refrigerated train loaded with bodies of the passengers of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 as it arrives in a Kharkiv factory for a stop In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A guard stands on a train carrying the remains of victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine after it arrived in the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 An armed pro-Russian separatist stands guard as monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and a team of Malaysian air crash investigators inspect the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo), Donetsk region In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Malaysian experts check debris at the main crash site of the Boeing 777 Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which crashed flying over the eastern Ukraine region, near Grabovo, some 100 km east from Donetsk In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Members of the Malaysia Special Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team, on hand to assist in the investigation into the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, wait near the gate of the Malyshev Factory, a state-owned producer of heavy machinery where a train transporting the victims was taken in Kharkiv, Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Two black boxes recovered from the crash site of the MH17 jet being handed over to Malaysian officials during a press conference in Donetsk In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A Malaysian expert (L) examines a black box belonging to Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 during its handover from pro-Russian separatists, in Donetsk In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Aleksandr Borodai (C), self proclaimed Prime Minister of the self proclaimed 'Donetsk People's Republic', looks up after speaking at a news conference in which he he handed over the two black boxes of the crashed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 to Colonel Mohamed Sakri (2-R) of the Malaysian National Security Council during a press conference organized in Donestk In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Donetsk People's Republic official (L) and Colonel Mohamed Sakri of the Malaysian National Security Council signing documents during the handing over to Malaysia of the two black boxes recovered from the crash site of the MH17 jet at a press conference in Donetsk In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Malaysian activist holds banners during a protest at the United Nations office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Netherlands Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans speaks after a vote at the United Nations. With the backing of Russia, the UN Security Council unanimously condemned the downing of a Malaysian passenger jet and demanded crash site access in rebel-held east Ukraine. Timmermans who flew to New York to attend the Security Council session expressed outrage over the delays in securing the crash site In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A photo of Belgian national Benoit Chardome, one of the victims of the downed Malaysia Airlines jetliner, is seen during a ceremony in Berchem, Antwerp In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Mourners dressed in white leave flowers as they gather in remembrance of the owners of the Asian Glories restaurant, after they were killed in the Malaysia Airlines MH17 plane crash over eastern Ukraine, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 The Dutch government honors the victims of the MH17 plane crash in Ukraine with a full-page advertisement in Dutch newspapers, as seen here in Rijswijk, The Netherlands. The advertisement with the title 'Geschokt en verdrietig' (Shocked and sad) contains the 298 names of the victims In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A pair of clogs with a message for Dutch citizens killed on the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is seen in front of the Netherlands Embassy in Washington In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 People surround a refrigerator wagon as monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and members of a forensic team inspect the remains of victims from the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, at a railway station in the eastern Ukrainian town of Torez In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and members of a forensic team inspect a refrigerator wagon containing the remains of victims from the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, at a railway station in the eastern Ukrainian town of Torez In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (C) leaves the Netherlands embassy in Kiev after signing his condolences ceremony In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Pro-Russia rebels guard a train containing the bodies of victims of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH 17 crash in Torez, Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Alexander Hug (L), Deputy Chief Monitor of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, speaks to reporters after visiting a train containing the bodies of victims of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash in Torez, Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Tirso Pabellon, brother of Irene Pabellon Gunawan, one of three Filipinos who perished in the Malaysia Airlines MH17 passenger plane crash over East Ukraine, leave the Department of Foreign Affairs after obtaining his passport at suburban Pasay city south of Manila, Philippines In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Bodies are removed from the site AFP/Getty In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Members of the Ukrainian Emergencies Ministry gather the remains of victims at the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 near the village of Hrabove, Donetsk region In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Ukrainian workers handle debris at the main crash site of the Boeing 777 Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Mourners attend a memorial service held for a family of five killed in the flight MH17 disaster, in the suburb of Eynesbury in Melbourne, Australia In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima sign a condolence register at the Ministry of Safety and Justice in The Hague, the Netherlands In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte signs a condolence register at the Ministry of Safety and Justice in The Hague, The Netherlands In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Malaysian youth gathers during a candlelight vigil for passengers and crew of the Malaysian Airline crash flight MH17 in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Journalists look at debris from the Boeing 777 Malaysia Arilines flight MH17 In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Pro-Russian separatists block the way to the crash site of MH17, near the village of Grabove AFP/Getty In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Local people roam the wreck of MH17 AFP In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Men carry a stretcher with a bodybag at the crash site EPA In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A local resident stands among the wreckage at the site of the crash Getty Images In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Passengers' belongings lie at the site of the crash Getty Images In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Floral tributes are left at the gates of the Dutch Embassy in London and the Dutch flag flies half mast a day after a Malaysian airliner was brought down over Ukraine carrying over 170 Dutch passengers REX In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A woman crosses herself as people lay flowers and light candles in front of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Kiev, to commemorate passengers of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 carrying 295 people from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur which crashed in eastern Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Personal belongings and luggage of passengers between debris of the Boeing 777, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which crashed during flying over the eastern Ukraine region near Donetsk In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Armed pro-Russian militants pass next to the wreckage of a Boeing 777, of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 debris, which crashed during flight over the eastern Ukraine region near Donetsk In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Members of the Ukrainian Emergency Ministry search for bodies near the site of Thursday's Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo, in the Donetsk region In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 People search for bodies at the site of the crash of a Malaysian airliner near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A diver searches for a black box on the site of the crash of a Malaysian airliner near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Rescuers stand on the site of the crash of a Malaysian airliner near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Debris is seen at the site of Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo, in the Donetsk region In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Belongings of passengers on the site of the crash of the Malaysia Airlines near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A woman grieves for victims of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 crash as she arrives to lay flowers at the the Dutch embassy in Moscow, Russia In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Relatives of a passenger who was on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur react over the news at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Widi Yuliono a relative of John Paulisen, shows photographs of John Paulisen (Top-L), Yuli Hastini (Top-R), Arjuna Martin Paulisen (L) and Sri Paulisen (R) who are victims of the Malaysian Airline flight MH 17 plane disaster in eastern Ukraine, at his residence in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 People bring flowers and candles to the Dutch embassy to commemorate the victims of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in Kiev In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A young boy lights a candle in commemoration of the victims of Malaysia Airlines plane accident in eastern Ukraine in front of the Dutch embassy in Kiev In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A woman holding a sign that reads, "Putin is a murderer", lies down near flowers left by people to commemorate victims of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash, at the Dutch embassy in Kiev In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A family member cries as she receives the news of the ill fated flight MH17 on the phone in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Family members of the crashed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 cry at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A firefighter sprays water to extinguish a fire, amongst the wreckages of the Malaysian airliner after it crashed, near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Flames and smoke amongst the wreckages of the Malaysian airliner near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A firefighter stands as flames burst amongst the wreckages of the Malaysian airliner near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the pro-Russian separatist 'Donetsk People's Republic' Alexander Borodai (C) stands as he arrives on the site of the crash of a Malaysian airliner, near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Debris of the Boeing 777, Malaysia Arilines flight MH17, which crashed during flying over the eastern Ukraine region near Donetsk In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 People walk amongst the debris, at the crash site of a passenger plane in Ukraine AP In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 The wreckages of the Malaysian airliner Getty Images In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 An armed pro-Russian separatist stands at a site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region of Ukraine Reuters In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 People stand near part of the wreckage of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane near Grabovo Reuters In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Taken from an amateur video, smoke rises from a fireball seen in the distance shortly after a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane crash AP In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A man works at putting out a fire at the site of the plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region of Ukraine Reuters In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Smoke rises up at a crash site near the village of Grabovo AP In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Smoke rises from the wreckage at the crash site near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region of Ukraine Reuters In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A part of the wreckage of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane is seen after it crashed near the settlement of Grabovo Reuters In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Alleged image of smoke from the crash In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 In a picture taken from a mobile phone smoke is seen rising from the crash site AP/Andrei Kashtanov In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A general view of the crash site in the Grabovo settlement in the Donetsk region of Ukraine Reuters In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Emergencies Ministry members work at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region Reuters In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 takes off from Schiphol airport near Amsterdam EPA In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Outgoing Belgian vice prime minister and foreign minister Didier Reynders makes a statement on the crash AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 The upper floor of Schiphol Airport is closed for media and reserved for family and relatives of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Reuters In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A closed Malaysia Airlines counter at Schiphol airport near Amsterdam EPA In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Airport security personnel look at the flight information board in the departure hall, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, where flight MH17 was flying to AP

His nephew said the family was inundated with tributes, each with a story of Mr Thomas that made it feel “like he was here”.

The MH17 tragedy stunned the world just four months after MH370 disappeared. The two disasters were followed by a third last month, when AirAsia Flight QZ8501 went down in the Java Sea.

“The only way you can compare them is in that innocent people lost their lives,” Mr Withers said.

“We [the victims’ families] are all in it together, no one else can really tell you how it feels.”

He has travelled to the Netherlands to meet the family of young couple Bryce Fredriksz and Daisy Oehlers, who were travelling on MH17 on their way to Bali.

The documentary shows the Fredriksz family home, where parents Rob and Silene have kept their 23-year-old son’s room exactly as it was left.

Silene Fredriksz has only had fragments of her son's bones returned to her (BBC)

While Mr Thomas’ body was repatriated, the Dutch family are one of many who have never had their loved one’s remains returned, being left only with a few bone fragments.

The programme also tells the story of a Daisy’s cousin Robby Oehlers, who flew to Ukraine and travelled more than 300 miles in a taxi to get to the crash site three months after the disaster in a desperate hunt for clues.

He had to leave empty-handed as shelling intensified nearby, further delaying the recovery of bodies and debris.

“Recovering the bodies was really traumatic,” Mr Withers said. “But if Robby could do that and all the journalists got there in shorts and T-shirts, how can it be impossible for anyone else to get in there?”

Members of the Ukrainian State Emergency Service search for bodies in a field near the crash site of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 near the village of Hrabove (Grabove), in Donetsk region on July 26, 2014. (AFP/Getty)

More than six months after MH17 went down, Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels continue to trade accusations as the investigation into the crash continues. A preliminary report released by the Dutch Safety Board in September found the plane had been penetrated by a number of “high energy objects”.

Ukraine accuses pro-Russian rebels of accidentally shooting it down with a surface-to-air, missile while Russian media reports have claimed to have evidence of Ukrainian military involvement.

Mr Withers said that whoever was responsible for the disaster, it ultimately came down to the Ukrainian conflict.

The BBC documentary sees him visit Maidan (Independence) Square in Kiev, where the protests started that ultimately led to the overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovych and ensuing war.

An armed pro-Russian separatist stands at a site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region of Ukraine (Reuters)

Amid the murals and tributes to the protesters killed in days of violent clashes last winter stands a huge picture of MH17’s wreckage.

“If the conflict hadn't happened the plane probably wouldn't have gone down - that’s where it all started,” Mr Withers said.

“It was only a year ago when you were seeing pictures of people being shot in the street and I did get the feeling it was still quite tense.”

He believes it will be years until anyone may admit responsibility for shooting down MH17, even after the final crash report is released, pointing to Lockerbie as an example of how long such disputes can continue.

“At the end of the day, I have lost something that can’t be given back to me,” said Mr Withers.

“The best that can happen is to know who, what, where, when and why. All that in one report, no jargon, just layman’s terms.

“Ultimately it doesn't really make a difference to me who did it and why because it’s done now. but one day I might want to tell my children what happened to Uncle Glenn.

“It would be nice to put a full stop on it and to be able to remember Glenn as Glenn and not someone who died on MH17.”