In pictures: Second World War veteran, aged 100, given fitting send-off at Gosport funeral

Reginald Plowman, who toured the world as part of the Royal Marines Band after enlisting at the age of 14 in 1937, passed away on April 18 at the Elizabeth Lodge Care home in Alverstoke.

As reported, Reginald was joined by over 100 family and friends at the care home on Wednesday, August 30, to celebrate his centenary. The special occasion saw Gosport MP Dame Caroline Dineage, Gosport mayor Martin Pepper and mayoress Suzanne Pepper join the celebrations.

And the momentous milestone was also marked with a surprise treat for Reginald as a small contingent of the Royal Marines Band Corps of Drums – led by Colour Sergeant Bugler Nic Cansfield – played at the celebration. At the funeral on Thursday week, the Royal Marines turned-up trumps again after sending a bugler to play Last Post at the interment ceremony.

The veteran was fondly remembered at The Salvation Army hall, The Crossways, before a family only service at Ann’s Hill Cemetery. The life of the kind-spirited family man was recalled and celebrated.

Born at 359 Forton Road, Gosport, Reg went to Brockhurst and Grove Road schools before joining the Royal Marines Band Service in 1937 aged 14 years and four days.

In late 1941 Reg embarked in a brand-new cruiser, HMS Cleopatra. After work-up, Cleopatra joined a convoy to Malta arriving there on 12 Feb where 17 of its crew were killed and 42 injured. The band’s action station was in a small room, below the waterline where they operated an early form of computer that calculated firing solutions for the gunnery directors.

Reg’s son Francis said: “With bombs raining down on the ships it must have been frightening beyond imagination. Such courage. The ship later attempted to fight through another convoy to the hard-pressed island during which it fought off an Italian battle fleet leaving Winston Churchill to describe the Battle of Sirte as the ‘finest cruiser action of the war’.”

Off Sicily on 16 July 1943, Cleopatra was torpedoed with heavy loss of life, the ship limping into Malta. Returning for well-earned leave Reg prayed for a safe return; his positively answered prayer thus igniting his journey of faith.

Before leaving the marines in 1953, Reg had served in the Arctic in 1945 (HMS Norfolk) and in the Korean War (HMS Jamaica). On 17 November, Reg committed his life to the Lord Jesus and was baptised at Central Baptist Church Durban, South Africa on 31 December.

On demob, Reg returned to Gosport, worshipped at Brockhurst Baptist Church and there – singing in the choir - found the love of his life, Jeannette Lucinda Tozer. Married on 4 August 1951, they raised a family of three children - Evelyn, Francis and Jeannette. At the end of his life he also knew and loved all nine grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

Occupationally, Reg was once postman, Co-op worker, bus conductor and school caretaker retiring in 1987. He enjoyed drawing warships, letter writing, reading, classical music, was a keen astronomer and having circumnavigated the world was often seen ‘lost’ in an atlas.

“With Mum he loved dogs. Reg never wanted to drive and cycled around town unfortunately at night where the town constabulary caught him not once but twice riding without lights and was fined, twice,” Francis said.

“I would ‘remind’ him that he had been caught by his often quoted scriptural petard – “Be sure your sins will find you out”. He was an utterly devoted and faithful husband to his darling Lucinda.

“He was an incredibly hard working man – never idle or laid-off; sacrificed much for his family to whom his somewhat austere parenting was never always understood. His faithfulness to the Lord he loved was exemplary, serving him in countless encouraging ways through The Salvation Army, at Brockhurst Baptist Church and Naval Christian Fellowship.

“Reg was the most chivalrous of Englishmen; a true Christian gentleman; a committed dad, grandfather and great-grandfather. On 16 April, when told by a lovely carer that his family were in his room to visit him, Reg’s last ever words was a clarion: ‘Tell them I love them.’”