Tube survivor meets rescue family

Alfie Morris and Susanne Lane were "overwhelmed" when they met

A man who was saved by a woman from a fatal crush at a London Underground station during World War II has met his rescuer's family after 66 years.

Alfie Morris was 13 years old when he went to take shelter from an impending air-raid in Bethnal Green Tube station, east London, on 3 March 1943.

Maude Chumbley grabbed his hair and saved him from the crush as hundreds of people climbed down the stairs.

A total of 173 people, including many children, were killed in the crush.

Mrs Chumbley also survived but she died more than 50 years ago.

'Overwhelmed with grief'

Mr Morris's wife had been researching the story and had tried to contact Mrs Chumbley's relatives for more than two years.

Mrs Chumbley's granddaughter read an article in a newspaper last week and got in touch with Mrs Morris.

Mr Morris said he became emotional when he met Mrs Chumbley's granddaughter Sussane Lane outside the Tube station.

"I just couldn't believe my luck when my wife told me last week that she had found Mrs Chumbley's relatives," he said.

"When I met Mrs Chumbley's granddaughter it brought back all the memories of Mrs Chumbley pulling me out and I was overwhelmed with grief.

"But it won't be complete until I can go and plant a tree by Mrs Chumbley's grave."

Mrs Lane read a piece written by Mr Morris where he recounted his rescue.

She said: "It started a week ago when I read the weekend story in a magazine and I just couldn't believe it that somebody had remembered my nana.

"I've always been proud of her, she's always been special and when the tears had stopped flowing I had to get in touch with Alf."

Maude Chumbley tried to pull Alfie Morris by his hair

Mr Morris, from Hornchurch, Essex, is also one of the organisers of the Stairway to Heaven campaign, which calls for a permanent memorial to the dead.

According to official reports, a woman with a baby and bundle of bedding tripped in the darkness on wet steps, resulting in an elderly man falling over her.

Within a few seconds 300 people were caught in the suffocating crush.

Recounting the rescue, Mr Morris said: "First of all she (Mrs Chumbley) grabbed me hair - 'gotcha', she went, and she pulled.

"She could see that I couldn't get out so then she put her arms under my armpits and lifted me out.

"Then she said to me 'You go downstairs and tell nothing of what's happening here - nothing at all'," he added.

Campaigners have managed to raise £175,000 of the £650,000 needed to build the memorial and are appealing for donations.

Mr Morris said: "When this memorial is up and these people could be remembered, I would die a happy man."