Plea to community to attend WW2 veteran's funeral
Ron Banks's family has made a public call for people to attend his funeral
- Published
The family of a World War Two veteran is calling on the community to attend his funeral after he passed away aged 99.
Ron Banks, a Royal Navy veteran from Warrington, passed away last month in Preston, with his funeral due to be held on Friday.
His niece, Sara Singleton, who cared for Mr Banks until his death, said less than 10 attendees were expected at her uncle's funeral service.
Mrs Singleton said she wanted to give others - especially fellow veterans - the opportunity to pay tribute to him, adding: "They might not know Ron, but there's so few people who served in WW2 who are still alive and we just owe a debt to them."
'We'll tell his story'
Born in Warrington in 1925, Mr Banks joined the Royal Navy at 17 and served as a anti-aircraft gunner on the HMS Glory.
He was on the ship when Japanese officers signed a document of surrender on 2 September 1945, Mrs Singleton said.
She said his time in the Navy had sparked his love of travel, which he continued to do into his 80s with his wife Vera, who died in 2016.
His travels included returning to places he had seen during the war, including Hiroshima after the detonation of the atomic bomb.
"He was amazed at how the Japanese had rebuilt their city," she added.
"The only place he told us he鈥檇 not been is Russia."
Mrs Singleton said she wanted to ensure Mr Banks's story lived on, with him not having any children of his own.
She added: "We'll continue to tell his story. If you don't share it, it goes with them."
Mr Banks (middle) joined the Royal Navy at 17
'Overwhelmed'
In planning Mr Banks's funeral, Mrs Singleton said it was "poignant" that it would be held in the days before Remembrance weekend - a time when Mr Banks always attended special services.
"He used to put his medals on and take the wreath down the front of the church," she recalled.
With the help of the Royal Naval Association, the family has put for people to attend his funeral service, which will be held on Friday.
"We were just overwhelmed by [the response], looking at the comments on Facebook."
She said she felt privileged to have been able to help the "fiercely independent" Mr Banks in his final years, doing things like bringing him groceries and washing.
"He used to say 'I鈥檒l be forever in your debt' and I thought, 'no, it鈥檚 the other way around'."
The funeral is being held on Friday at 11:15 to 12:15 GMT at Preston Crematorium.
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