The 74-year-old told pupils at Halfpenny Lane Junior and Infant School about his time as lunar module pilot on board the famous craft, which was crippled by an oxygen tank explosion and forced to return to Earth in April 1970.
He relived his experience – portrayed in the 1995 Tom Hanks' film Apollo 13 – at a packed talk in Carleton Community High School.


Ken Willoughby, who organised the astronaut's trip to Pontefract, said: "To say the visit was brilliant would be an understatement.
"Fred really enjoyed himself, paticularly meeting youngsters at the school as they asked some top questions.
"In his talk he highlighted how the film didn't show everything that was said or done on Apollo 13 – such as technical language which wouldn't have made a good movie.


"He stayed signing autographs until just before midnight."
Mr Willoughby, vice-president of the West Yorkshire Astronomical Society, has also brought astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Charlie Duke and Alan Bean to Pontefract.
His next mission is to see Eugene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon in 1972, and Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell Jr touch down in the town next year.