Veteran who saw flattened Hiroshima dies aged 102

Roy Daines was in his 20s when he witnessed the aftermath of the Hiroshima bomb

An RAF veteran who was among the first British personnel to witness a flattened Hiroshima following its atomic bombing by the US in World War Two has died aged 102.

Doctors did not expect Roy Daines to live past childhood after being born with a heart problem and a slit in his left lung.

However, he went on to have a distinguished military career that saw him undertake more than 30 missions and survive two crash landings during the war.

Earlier this year, Mr Daines recalled seeing the aftermath of the bombing in Japan, describing Hiroshima as "absolutely devastated".

"Hiroshima was just flat... there was nothing there," he said.

"You could look two to three miles right across the city.

"In Japan, they used to bury their dead up on the mountain, up on the hills, so that they faced the rising sun, and you could see that far."

His son Peter Daines, 70, said his father was not initially talkative about his RAF days and he would need to squeeze details out of him while they worked together as toolmakers, which Roy continued into his 90s.

However, his memories of the war were eventually published in a book to mark his 90th birthday.

"He was so sworn to secrecy he never spoke about his time in the air force at the time, and certainly not after for many years," said Peter.

"They did a lot of very 'top secret' missions... seeking out German radar stations and things like that."

Roy Daines, pictured with son Peter, was born with various health defects but lived to 102

Peter wanted people to hear about his dad's career and in recent years got in touch with BBC Look East, which broadcast his story to a wider audience.

"That generation - when you consider what they went through for us to have the lifestyle that we've got today, they deserve the recognition which a lot of them never got," he said.

Last November, Roy, from Essex, surprised his son by wearing his medals, which were still in the boxes and tissue paper they came in.

"He actually wore them for the first time ever," said Peter.

"They've never seen the light of day in 80 years, he's never worn them."

Roy made an exception for an appearance at a special memorial service in Foulsham, Norfolk, where the 192 squadron was stationed.

Roy Daines wore his medals at a service in Norfolk last year

Peter said his dad, who had five granddaughters, two great-grandsons and six great-granddaughters, had been battling cancer in recent times.

He said he had been living independently at his home in Silver End, near Braintree, up until his death.

"He has said for some months he's ready to go," said Peter.

"He died knowing he was loved."