HISTORY is going to have to be rewritten - thanks to a letter printed in this

newspaper.

In February, Greg Christie appealed for information about the writer, Eric Knight, creator of the children's favourite, Lassie, who was actually born in Menston.

And from what seemed a minor piece of information, he was able to piece much of his life together - and to ultimately discover the truth surrounding his tragic death in 1943 at the age of 46.

It had been thought for many years that actor Leslie Howard had died in the same aeroplane crash - as his death was kept secret from his adoring public during the war years.

But from his research Mr Christie has discovered the actor, in fact, died six months later in the Bay of Biscay.

"I had a very good response from the letter and one piece of information in particular that someone thought was insignificant led me on to someone else which led me to the exact place where Knight was born," said Mr Christie.

His inquiries took him to Menston Library where he discovered no-one knew about the village's famous writer.

"The details about his death were most interesting. It had been thought that he had been killed in action in the same crash that killed Leslie Howard, but now history books will have to be rewritten because I have discovered the truth."

Mr Christie, 48, of Norton, North Yorkshire, became interested in Eric Knight after being given a copy of his book, Sam Small The Flying Yorkshireman. Tickled by the antics of the Yorkshire hero, Mr Christie began researching Mr Knight's work five years ago.

When he searched for other titles by the writer, he found that Lassie, the heroic collie dog made famous by film and television, was in fact the creation of the Menston-born writer.

Mr Christie is now writing a book about the writer whose creation is now better known than the man himself.

He has also dramatised some of the adventures of Knight's less well-known hero, Sam Small, for stage, radio and television performances.

One of his ideas to preserve the memory of Eric Knight has been to hold a guided 'Lassie trail' of West Yorkshire, pointing out some of the places where he lived and worked.