▁father , ▁an ▁R AF ▁pilot , ▁was ▁killed ▁in ▁a ▁plane ▁crash ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁in ▁Ken ya ▁when ▁P ull man ▁was ▁seven , ▁being ▁post hum ously ▁awarded ▁the ▁Dist ingu ished ▁F lying ▁Cross ▁( DF C ). ▁P ull man ▁said ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁exchange ▁that ▁to ▁him ▁as ▁a ▁boy , ▁his ▁father ▁" was ▁a ▁hero , ▁ste ep ed ▁in ▁gl amour , ▁killed ▁in ▁action ▁def ending ▁his ▁country " ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁" training ▁pil ots ". ▁P ull man ▁was ▁then ▁presented ▁with ▁a ▁report ▁from ▁The ▁London ▁Gazette ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁" which ▁carried ▁the ▁official ▁R AF ▁news ▁of ▁the ▁day ▁[ and ] ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁medal ▁was ▁given ▁for ▁' g all ant ▁and ▁distinguished ▁service ' ▁during ▁the ▁Mau ▁Mau ▁u pr ising . ▁' The ▁main ▁task ▁of ▁the ▁Har v ards ▁[ the ▁aircraft ▁flow n ▁by ▁his ▁father ' s ▁unit ] ▁has ▁been ▁bomb ing ▁and ▁machine - g unning ▁Mau ▁Mau ▁and ▁their ▁hide outs ▁in ▁dens ely ▁wood ed ▁and ▁difficult ▁country .' ▁This ▁included ▁' d iving ▁ste ep ly ▁into ▁the ▁g org es ▁of ▁[ vari ous ] ▁rivers , ▁often ▁in ▁conditions ▁of ▁low ▁cloud ▁and ▁driving ▁rain .' ▁Test ing ▁conditions , ▁yes , ▁but ▁not ▁much ▁opposition ▁from ▁the ▁enemy , ▁the ▁journalist ▁in ▁the ▁exchange ▁continued . ▁Very ▁few ▁of ▁the