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 commemorate 75 years of victory. He was involved in the D day landings on a minesweeping vessel in preparation for the beach landings. He was a awarded the Legion D’Honneur from the French government for his involvement in this campaign.
Les passed 10 days after his wife Ivy and we conducted a double funeral service at Surrey and Sussex. Les had full military honours with the Royal Marines buglers playing the last post.