D-Day veteran Ron Cross from Gosport laid to rest at funeral as tributes pour in

Friends and family lined the approach to St Lukes Church in the former Royal Hospital Haslar grounds, as Ron made his final journey accompanied by a standard-bearer from the Royal Engineers Solent and District Branch.

Under cloud-laden skies mourners bowed their heads yesterday as Ron, 100, was carried into the church while a lone bugler sounded The Last Post.

Friend and fellow member of the D-Day Fellowship Malcolm Chapman, 81, said: ‘Ron was a real stalwart in all he did.

‘He had a great sense of humour and he was everything you would want in person to be in the trenches with you.

‘In many ways Ron was the reason we started the fellowship and he was brilliant with the talks he did for us. He particularly liked going into schools to give talks and he always said the children asked the best questions.

‘He was a fantastic character and will be sadly missed.’

Having celebrated his centenary last year, Ron sadly passed away on January 20 at the Tudor Lodge Nursing Home in Fareham.

Malcolm added: ‘As time passes we are left with fewer and fewer veterans and it was such an epic event that it’s vital we keep Ron and other veterans’ memories alive.’

Ron was part of the 79th Armoured Division, one of the first to land on Juno Beach during the Normandy landings.

He was assigned to an Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers Churchill tank, which was tasked with clearing the beach to make way for following tanks and troops.

His heroic efforts led to him being awarded the the Legion d’Honneur in 2016 - France’s highest medal for bravery.

Veterans have paid tribute to Ron. Royal Logistic Corp veteran John Shepard, 40, said: ‘It’s sad when I hear that anyone who has served has passed away.

‘I stood on the Normandy beaches as part of my training and tried to imagine what it would have been like for people like Ron.

‘I came out of the forces eight years ago and what we had in terms of equipment compared to them was totally different. People of that generation were so much more resilient and mean a lot to everyone in the country.’

After leaving the army in 1946 Ron worked for 37 years as an occupational therapist at the Royal Hospital Haslar for which he received an MBE.

He had a passion for cricket and was an opening batsman for Gosport Cricket Club before going on to become an umpire.

Speaking previously, Ron’s son Martyn Cross, 70, said: ‘My dad had a very active life. He really did love life. He was extraordinary.

‘He was unbelievably brave during the war – they all were. It was a job and they all got on with it. If they hadn’t, the world would have been a very different place.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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