MY first story of the new year involved a puzzle which has now become even more of a mystery.

Mark Leautaud sent me a photograph his father's grandfather had received after the end of the Second World War in Europe.

As previously mentioned, it is of an RAF air gunner and written on the back is 'Duncan Black, 59 Finnart Street, Greenock, Thanks for all, 12 September, 1946.' Mark's forebear lived in Steenbergen in the south of Holland and made the coffins for Sir Guy Gibson and his navigator, Squadron Leader Jim Warwick, who died when their Mosquito aircraft came down came down near the village in September 1944.

There was a thought the photograph could have somehow been linked with this tragic event.

After my story appeared, I received a call from Jim Millar, who told me he was the only remaining cousin of Duncan Black.

Before Jim's call, it seemed logical to believe Duncan Black sent a photograph of himself along with his thanks after the war.

Sadly, that turns out not to have been the case. Jim, 75, said his cousin, who was born in 1920, was killed when his aircraft crashed in Holland in June 1941.

Jim, who was born in Greenock but now lives in Port Glasgow, told me: "I do not have a memory of Duncan as I was only three when he was killed.

"He was educated at the old Greenock Academy in Nelson Street. I remember visiting his parents' home in Finnart Street." From a separate source, I have learned Duncan was among a crew of four flying a Whitley V bomber when it was shot down north of Best, Eindhoven.

Jim said Duncan, who was an only child, was buried in Eindhoven and it was obviously his father, also named Duncan, who sent the photograph to Holland.

Incidentally, Jim had never seen a photograph of his cousin before.

There is a strange twist in that Jim's father Jimmy was in the Army during the Second World War and spent a period of time in the location of Steenbergen, the same village where Mark Leautaud's forebear lived.

Jim visited Steenbergen with his parents during holidays in 1948 and 1950.

Following the information received from Jim, Mark said: "It was sad to learn that this young man Duncan Black died during the war.

"Eindhoven is just 45 minutes away from where we live. My father and I plan to visit the cemetery within a few weeks to pay our respects." While it is now known who Duncan Black was, the mystery deepens with regard to why his father sent a photograph of his dead son to Holland in 1946.

Hopefully, Mark Leautaud may come up with the answer following further research in Holland.