'Devoted' RAF veteran from Stubbington gets a military send-off at his funeral

Veterans and serving military personnel rallied to give a guard of honour to Stubbington pensioner, Flight Lieutenant Charles Lamb.

The 87-year-old – who had a ‘brilliant sense of humour’ – died on January 11 following a stint of illness.

Mr Lamb’s funeral was held at Oaks Crematorium in Havant, attended by more than a dozen of his family and friends.

His casket was decked in the Union Flag, with his RAF officer’s service dress cap sitting proudly on top.

As his coffin was taken out of the hearse, Mr Lamb was given a military salute by army veterans from The Buglers Association of The Light Rifles Division and Rifles, who later performed the Last Post and Reveille during the service, and Warrant Officer Clare Ryan, of 78 Squadron RAF at Swanwick.

The moving display touched family members who had travelled from across the country to say farewell to Mr Lamb.

His younger brother Michael – who served for 22 years in the RAF, retiring as a Flight Sergeant – said: ‘Charles would have been so proud.’

Mr Lamb’s sister-in-law, Mary Lamb, added: ‘Charles absolutely loved his time in the military. This would have meant a lot to him.

‘He saw the best side of everyone. He was a great storyteller. He loved his family and adored his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.’

Mr Lamb joined the RAF in August 1950 as an apprentice when he was about 15 before attending RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire.

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He attended No. 1 Radio School based at RAF Cosford near Somerset and spent a significant amount of time at the radar station RAF Clee Hill, where he was when he met his late wife, Violet, who he married in 1956.

The veteran left the forces shortly after 1975 and his work then took him and Violet to places like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Nigeria.

Mr Lamb’s daughter, Roz, said her family was ‘delighted’ by the military turn out, adding: ‘The fact that we’ve had a lot of military support is amazing. Dad always spoke of the support the military can sometimes offer on these occasions... The fact there is a presence here today is fantastic.’

Warrant Officer Clare Ryan, the principal air and space operations manager at 78 Squadron RAF, helped organise the military send-off and said she was honoured to attend the service.

She said: ‘I’m immensely proud to be attending the funeral. In the RAF we class ourselves as a big family. So if we can be there and remember the veterans that have previously served, then we will.

‘When it’s my time, I would like to think that a few veterans would remember me, for what I did in the services.'

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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