‘Thank you to this lion of an island’: British author inspired by S’porean WWII pilot finds his family

British author Onjali Rauf left flowers and a copy of her book at Tan Kay Hai's headstone at Kranji War Cemetery on April 29. PHOTOS: LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE, ONJALI RAUF

SINGAPORE: British author Onjali Rauf, who set out to get in touch with the family of a Singaporean World War II pilot while on a 10-day visit to the Republic, has fulfilled her goal.

Three years after The Lion Above The Door was published, she managed to meet family members of Tan Kay Hai, a decorated, daredevil pilot with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II, on Tuesday (April 30). He had been the inspiration behind a character in one of her books.