An Australian woman whose father helped rescue the crew of a burning Wellington bomber is flying to Bristol this week to receive a posthumous award for her father's bravery.

Karen Riley will be among dozens of people coming to St Andrews from all over the UK and overseas for a memorial ceremony to commemorate the lives lost in a World War II air crash that was kept secret for years.

"I've waited all my life to get this award," said Karen, the daughter of Bristol policeman PC Bruce Westlake, who rescued the gunner on board the stricken aircraft, but who later died on the day Karen was born.

The award will be given to her as part of the memorial service being held on Saturday to commemorate the RAF crew who lost their lives when their Wellington bomber crashed almost 70 years ago in St Andrew's Park in 1941.

The Friends of St Andrew's Park are also honouring the bravery of residents who pulled survivors from the burning wreckage of the aircraft.

Relatives of those residents will come to pay tribute to the men that died and mark the bravery of those that tried to rescue them.

Local historian David Cemlyn has organised the memorial ceremony with Jenny Morris, a former commanding officer in the Observer Corps who now lives close to where the bomber came down in the Bristol park.

He said: "We've uncovered some extraordinary stories about the selfless acts of courage shown by local people at the time of this crash and this will be the first time their great acts of bravery will be remembered.

"This story has excited many people and we are going to do them proud."

At the time it occurred, the wartime crash was kept secret for national security reasons and this memorial service will be the first time the crash is being officially acknowledged.

The memorial service will take place at 12.30pm, with a possible RAF flypast, in the presence of the Lord Mayor of Bristol and Assistant Chief Constable John Long.