Veteran Stories – Rowland Brothers Funeral Directors

The Obituary of Royal Navy Veteran, Donald Bell (1931 - 2024) In December 2024, we were honoured to conduct the funeral of Donald Bell, a distinguished veteran of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and a dedicated public servant. Donald's life was one of service, courage, and unwavering commitment to his country and community. Donald joined [...]

Honouring a Hero: The Farewell of Royal Navy Veteran & Freemason Arthur Easey We recently had the privilege of conducting the funeral for Arthur Easey, affectionately known as Ralph to his friends, a distinguished Royal Navy veteran and devoted Mason. The service was a poignant tribute to his remarkable life and achievements. The ceremony featured [...]

Honouring the Life of Captain Anthony (Tony) Reddy: A Distinguished Veteran and Dedicated Cadet Leader We recently had the honour of conducting the funeral for Captain Anthony (Tony) Reddy, a decorated veteran and respected figure in the cadet and military communities. Captain Reddy's remarkable career spanned decades, beginning with the Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers and the [...]

Honouring Festus Fairweather: A Jamaican Hero of the Royal Air Force The funeral of Festus Fairweather, a Jamaican veteran who served in the Royal Air Force during World War II, was a poignant tribute to a remarkable life. Festus was among the 500 brave individuals from the Caribbean who enlisted to support the war [...]

Honouring a Hero: The Farewell of Royal Air Force Veteran Dennis Wheeler The funeral of Royal Air Force Veteran Dennis Wheeler was a poignant and remarkable event. Dennis, who sadly passed away without any immediate family, was supported by friends from the Union Jack Club in Waterloo, London - a club dedicated to veterans of [...]

Honouring a Hero: The Farewell of Tony John, A Veteran Paratrooper The late Tony John, a proud veteran of the 2nd and 10th Battalions of The Parachute Regiment, was taken from us far too soon by an incurable cancer. A seasoned soldier with distinguished service in Northern Ireland, Tony's legacy is one of courage [...]

Celebrating the Life of Reverend Alan Bowley: A Remarkable Man of Faith and Service Reverend Alan Bowley was a man of extraordinary dedication and character, whose life left an indelible mark on all who knew him. A National Service veteran of the Royal Air Force and a reservist with the Royal Engineers, he served [...]

Honouring the Life of Andrew Boyd veteran of the London Ambulance Service We had the honour of conducting the funeral service for Andrew Boyd, a dedicated Paramedic veteran of the London Ambulance Service. The ceremony paid a heartfelt tribute to his remarkable service, featuring the London Ambulance coffin drape, a ceremonial guard of honour, first [...]

Ruaraidh (Rory) O'Stiubhart was in the Royal Army Medical Corps service number 22812296. We completed his pre-paid funeral plan in 2016,  and our funeral directors remember him well. Rory was blind when we met him with his carer at his flat in Thornton Heath. As a veteran of the Armed Forces, he requested military honours [...]

Robert Gandy joined the military to serve his National Service. He joined the elite Parachute Regiment (3 Para). Most people in the National Service never did much,  however Robert gained his Jump wings which are hard fought for. During his basic training he won best recruit “The Browning Award” and this was awarded to him [...]

John (Jack) (Tug) Wilson was in the Guards Parachute regiment. Tug served in the Irish Guards and then in the 1st (Guards) Independent Company, The Parachute Regiment. He served at the same time as his son in the same regiment. They can both be seen in the two pictures of the Company. Tug had served [...]

We conducted the funeral of James Tabor, a friend of Tony Rowland who also was the conductor. James served his country in The Royal Navy for his National Service and went on to be civilian staff as a controller for the City of London Police for 25 years. We honoured James with a flag on [...]

HMS Fearless James Smith was a veteran of The Royal Navy. With approximate dates, this is his navy service on board ships: Completed training at HMS Ganges – 1961 (Naval training base) HMS Vincent (Naval Training) HMS Agincourt (Battle class destroyer) HMS Grenville – 1968 (Type 15 frigate) HMS Sheraton 1970 (Minehunter) HMS Blake - [...]

Cpl James (Jim) Carpenter joined the Army at the young age of 16 in 1955 ( Service number 23503886). He was first with the East Surrey Regiment and then the Paras, where he served with 3 of his brothers. He was then selected for the 21 SAS and was stationed at the Chelsea Barracks, Duke [...]

Elsie Eastman was a World War Two Royal Auxiliary Air Force veteran. She was an office worker before and at the beginning of the war decided to do her bit. She joined up and qualified as a navigator. In her eulogy it was said she loved flying in the planes however there were not many [...]

Eileen Bascombe was a leading Aircraftswoman in the Women’s Royal Air Force (WRAF), she was in the Air Force during the second world war. Eileen base was Chicksands Priory this was her station Z, her roll was a communications officer working at the famous Bletchley Park listening for codes and then passing them onto the [...]

  Lt Colonel Kenneth Frederick Travers I think one of the highest ranking veterans to pass through our care. He was called up for national service in 1950. He joined The Royal Artillery. He qualified for officer training. He was trained and manned the 40mm and 3.7 inch anti-aircraft guns. At the end of his [...]

    John Rule senior is the father of one of our own here at Rowland Brothers who we looked after on his final journey. At 17 Mr Rule joined the Merchant Navy and spent the next 2 -3 years sailing the world and seeing countries that were almost unheard of back then. On leaving [...]

Charles, who was a Sargent in the Royal Artillery Charles passed at 101 years old. He served in The Royal Artillery in the second World War. Charles fought in the Battle of Normandy Beach on D Day, Arnhem and into Germany. The Union Flag was draped over his coffin, The Royal Artillery Association Standard Bearer [...]

  Cyril Songhurst Service number: 23466288 Cyril went into the boy’s service, General service corps until 22.10.57 where he joined the Royal Armoured Corps, he wanted to be a dog handler and an opportunity arose with the Royal Military Police. He joined the RMP 2 Division 1.4.1959 he served in the riots on Hong Kong [...]

John Soggee is a twice veteran. He served in the armed forces in the parachute Regiment and after joined the Metropolitan Police Service. We were able to honour both of his service careers with the Metropolitan Police coffin drape on his coffin throughout the cortege and at the church service and upon arrival at the [...]

William (Bill) Wheeler Royal Navy World War Two by his loving daughter Sandra William Wheeler, known by all as Bill, who was born in Thornton Heath, has sadly passed away at the grand age of 96. He trained before the war as an engineer tool maker so these skills were able to be transferred when [...]

Lesley Albert Bates, Royal Navy, World war Two Les was commissioned during the war in the arctic convoys and d day landings. He was on a survivor/coffin ship in the arctic picking up survivors and bodies from the sea. He received the arctic star medal and the Russian Ushakov medal from the Russian government to [...]

The Honorary President of the Association des Auvergnats de Grande-Bretagne as well as the Federation of French Associations in Great Britain, Antoinette Chambeyron is an emblematic figure of the French community in London. Daughter of Anne Dunne, British artist born in Liverpool, and Georges Chambeyron, member of the famous juggling troupe "The Mongadors", Antoinette could [...]

Charles served in the Second World War as a blacksmith in the Royal Air Force working on aircraft repairs. He started at Pembroke in Wales working on flying boats and witnessed a very heavy bombing raid from the Germans causing mass casualties. He was then posted to RAF Kenley and Biggin Hill to work on [...]

At St Christopher’s church was the funeral of ex Flt Sgt Edward McRae aged 93 a veteran of 50 Squadron RAF Bomber Command he volunteered in 1944 he was the mid upper gunner in a Lancaster he completed 19 missions over Europe. Crash report from the War Office 1945: BOMBER COMMAND Ferry flight in connection [...]

Dave was an ex Metropolitan Police officer. He joined the Police at 19 in 1966. In 1975 he came off a roof while he was chasing a burglar and was impaled on spikes and was paralysed from the waist down. In 1975 a year later he joined police Staff as a Finance and Resource Manager [...]

Jones was a 6-year veteran of the RCT and RLC. Vivian was a Lieutenant and is a veteran of the first Gulf War in 1991. He passed at the age of 56 with no family and no friends. The military preparation college of training carried the coffin, 3 standard bears were in attendance, Royal British [...]

Stanley was Ex Royal Airforce Force 255 Squadron. He served in the Second World War over in North Africa, Tunisia, Algeria, Sicily, Italy, Malta and Egypt. His role was a fitter mechanic on the Beaufort and mosquito night fighters. Stanley received the military honours.

Raymond kinder was 3 months short of reaching 101 years old when he passed away. Raymond “Razor” Kinder was in the army before the outbreak of World War 2 and he was in India in the Wiltshire Regiment. Upon the outbreak of war he was sent to Belgium and was part of the British Expeditionary [...]

Ronald, a world war two Royal Marine veteran. He was sent into action in Norway at the start of the war and returned with many of his comrades dead or injured. He was then sent to Scotland to become one of the first commandos.

Randolf was a pilot in the Royal Air Force. He was part of the anti-submarine patrols during the cold war he flew mainly Shackleton’s.

Herbert was a Normandy veteran. Herbert joined the Territorial Army before the war and was conscripted in 1939. He was initially sent to Scotland and then was waiting for the big day, 6th June 1944. Herbert’s landing ship had mechanical problems so he was delayed with his troop and set foot on French sand two [...]

Len's war years - As told by his daughter 23.09.1940 to 26.08.1941 During the London Blitz Len served with the 52nd (London) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment. 313 AA Battery stationed at Hyde Park Corner together with gunners on the Ack Ack guns shooting down enemy aircraft. He told me “how he gave the order to fire [...]

Dean’s funeral was huge. Dean once lived in Croydon when he left the Army but resided in Bow east London till his death. Dean was called up to do National service when he was 18 and went off to Suez for 18 months as part of the Royal Signals Regiment. When he was demobbed he [...]

We conducted a funeral for Clive Knowles a veteran of The Royal Fusiliers. This was a social services funeral and at the funeral only 6 people were in attendance. There were three Standard Bearers from the Royal British Legion. In their own words when I thanked them “It’s no more than they deserve mate you [...]

Colin, a veteran of the Royal Artillery 20th Field regiment and was also a veteran of the Korean War. Colin was in his National Service when he went to Korea so he was one of the unlucky ones who went to war many of the others spent their two or three years in the UK [...]

Walter was as an ex-serviceman who was a member of the Royal Artillery. We were told it was a social services funeral. AND he only had two friends. With the help of Veterans we sent him off on his final march in honor. There were two standard bearers from the Royal British Legion and 7 [...]

Stephen served in the Royal Engineers from 04/07/1951 as career soldier and he served in the Korean War and Japan. Stephen was demobbed 01/01/1957. After he left the regular Army he was a reservist and was called up to serve again during the Suez Crisis in 1959. He finally left the reserves in 03/07/67 and [...]

Tony was captured in Singapore along with many thousands of his comrades. He was marched through the Far East working on both the Burma Railway and the Bridge in the Kwai. He ended up being taken to prisoner of war camps in Japan where he was brutally treated. He was deafened in one ear from [...]

Fred who I had the pleasure of meeting a few weeks prior to his passing had lots of Help 4 Heroes merchandise displayed in his home he told me he was in the army as a National Service Soldier. He had been assigned to the Royal Engineers and for his national service where many were [...]

At the outbreak of WW2 Des lied about his age and joined the Home Guard at 13 years old. He became a Sergeant by 15 and was mentioned in dispatches for rescuing people from a bombed building. When he was old enough he joined the Reconnaissance Regiment who were tasked to go to the front [...]

We conducted the funeral of Ron. He was a veteran of the Royal Navy having been posted to two mine sweepers in the English channel, a frigate and the most notable posting was on HMS Belfast. Not many veterans can say they have served on the Belfast. He was on board when the first salvo [...]

We have the honour of conducting the service of a true war hero George Parsons. Formally The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers then 2 Commando, a Minister and a Chelsea pensioner. Here is his war story I joined up in 1937, before the war. When I first got called up, I was bored, then things [...]