RN Funerals

Honour our War Dead here and post your photos of your local Remembrance Day events
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9746
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

RN Funerals

Unread post by Pelican »

Cyril Banks

Sailors and veterans wanted to support Essex D-Day veteran’s funeral


Are you able to give a few hours of your time to give D-Day veteran Cyril Banks the send-off his service deserves?
The D-Day, Arctic Convoy and Pacific Fleet veteran died earlier this month aged 97.

Friends would like a strong military presence at his funeral in Harlow at the end of May – be they serving or veterans/associations – as Cyril was proud of his achievements and never forgot his shipmates.

Born in January 1925 in Birchanger, Bishops Stortford, Cyril Banks enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1943, aged 18, and joined the minesweeper HMS Ready as an anti-aircraft gunner.

Cyril’s first months at sea were spent in the harsh Arctic convoys and in the North Sea patrolling for U-boats before moving to the Channel to support the invasion of Europe.

Ready was committed clearing the approaches to what would become Gold Beach, leading the 8th Minesweeping flotilla.

Continues and ending with:
His funeral takes place at 4.30pm on May 30 at Parndon Wood Road Crematorium, Harlow, Essex, CM19 4SF.
At - https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... D4jsKrQvQI
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9746
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Funerals - Frank Baugh

Unread post by Pelican »

D-Day veteran Frank’s duty is done after 98 remarkable years

Sand from the Normandy beach where he put troops ashore on D-Day was placed on the coffin in the last act of Frank Baugh’s remarkable life.

The former landing craft signaller was laid to rest in his native Yorkshire, severing another living link with our greatest generation and the dwindling band of brothers who experienced the hell of June 6 1944.

There were seven Standard Bearers in attendance with Able Seaman Elliott Holt from HMS Collingwood – Frank’s alma mater – leading the coffin party, carrying the White Ensign from Sword Beach into Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Doncaster.

Continues, including photos, at - https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... able-years
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
jbryce1437
Posts: 1879
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2018 7:28 pm
Location: Roker, Sunderland

Re: RN Funerals - Lawrence Churcher

Unread post by jbryce1437 »

A former sailor believed to be the last Royal Navy veteran from Dunkirk has died at the age of 102.

Lawrence Churcher, who was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, died at a care home in nearby Fareham, just days short of his 103rd birthday, according to the Project 71 charity which supports Second World War veterans.

The charity, which said Mr Churcher was thought to be the last known naval veteran of the evacuation, posted on Facebook: “A truly remarkable man, loved and respected by all who knew him.

“Stand down Lawrence, your duty is done. It has been an honour to have known you.”
Mr Churcher, who was awarded the Legion d’Honneur, was posted to HMS Eagle at the start of the war and landed in France in May 1940 to help supply ammunition to the front lines and was posted to a railhead outside Dunkirk.

The charity said: “When he, together with thousands of others of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) was ordered to pull back to the beaches, he began looking for the Hampshire Regiment in the hope of finding his two brothers, Edward and George.

“Amazingly they met each other and managed to sail back to the UK on the same ship.”

Mr Churcher is reported to have said: “When my brothers found me, I just felt relief.

“There were so many soldiers there and continuous aircraft dropping bombs and strafing us, I had so many things on my mind until I got on board of our ship.

“One fella leaned on my shoulder, gave a sigh of relief and said ‘Thank God we’ve got a Navy’ and that sort of churned it up inside of me. We knew we had to get those soldiers back from Dunkirk.”

Mr Churcher went on to serve in the Mediterranean, at D-Day and ended the war in the Far East.

He later became a football referee and became Portsmouth FC’s oldest fan.
HMS Raleigh 1963 , HMS Collingwood 1963 & 67 , HMS Ark Royal 1964-7, HMS Undaunted 1968-71, HMS Victory (Fleet Maintenance Group) 1971-72, HMS Exmouth 1972-74
JEM, EM, OEM, LOEM, POOEL
Then 28 years in the Fire Brigade
Retired since 2002
User avatar
DaveH
Posts: 395
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:58 pm
Location: PLYMOUTH , DEVON

Re: RN Funerals

Unread post by DaveH »

Now he has slung his Hammock in a Safe Anchorage, RIP Shipmate .

DaveH
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic

Return to “The Remembrance Thread”