[Icare9]

Try Ashford Library for newspaper archives or for a local history group that may be able to search further. Or you could email a letter for the local Ashford paper to print, asking for information.
With respect, your grandmother would have been in her mid twenties at the start of the War, so I suspect she would have mixed with "boys" close to her age group, indicating that the mystery W/O was in the RAF pre war. Does your g/m remember anything else that could help? Accent, where he was from, any idea of Squadron, aircraft he flew or when she last heard of him?
I had a somewhat similar experience with a friend who had a great pal during training, but heard he was shot down and killed. Recently he asked if I could find his grave etc, and was wonderfully surprised to find he'd been a PoW. Sadly, couldn't find any sign of him still being alive, he died in 2002, but there is always hope!!
This might be worth floating past her, did he have an American accent?
Name: LUKHMANOFF, GEORGE BORIS
Initials: G B
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Pilot Officer (W.Op./Obs.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit.
Age: 24
Date of Death: 12/07/1942
Service No: 127470
Awards: D F M
Additional information: Son of Boris and Valentina Lukhmanoff, of San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 3. D. 11.
Cemetery: CALAIS CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY, LEUBRINGHEN
Of course, if he was given a rocket for beating up Ashford, then he could have been posted far away.....
Name: LUCAS, BRUCE ROY
Initials: B R
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Warrant Officer (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
Age: 23
Date of Death: 19/07/1944
Service No: 591156
Additional information: Son of R. Lucas and Hilda Dewson P. Lucas, of Northampton; husband of Lillian Irene Lucas.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 1. B. 3.
Cemetery: KIRKEE WAR CEMETERY
Again, trying to be delicate, he may have survived, is there any reason why you think he died? Were they that close that he would have returned for her?