Lawrence Churcher: Funeral for last known Royal Navy Dunkirk veteran

Lawrence Churcher died at his care home in Fareham days short of his 103rd birthday

A funeral has been held for the last known Royal Navy veteran of Dunkirk.

Two lines of Royal Navy sailors provided a guard of honour for 102-year-old Lawrence Churcher during a service in Portchester, Hampshire.

Pallbearers carried his coffin, which was draped in a Union Jack with his Navy cap on top, through pouring rain.

Mr Churcher, who was born in Portsmouth and died at a care home in Fareham, landed in France in May 1940, returning on a ship carrying rescued soldiers.

He was awarded the Legion d'Honneur for his bravery - the highest order of merit in France.

Announcing his death, charity Project 71, which supports World War Two veterans, said he had been a "truly remarkable man".

The charity said he was the last naval veteran of the Dunkirk evacuation.

It said: "When he, together with thousands of others of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force), was ordered to pull back to the beaches, he began looking for the Hampshire Regiment in the hope of finding his two brothers, Edward and George.

"Amazingly they met each other and managed to sail back to the UK on the same ship."

Lawrence Churcher (centre) returned from France with his brothers Edward and George

Mr Churcher is reported to have said: "When my brothers found me, I just felt relief.

"There were so many soldiers there and continuous aircraft dropping bombs and strafing us, I had so many things on my mind until I got on board of our ship.

"One fella leaned on my shoulder, gave a sigh of relief and said 'Thank God we've got a Navy' and that sort of churned it up inside of me.

"We knew we had to get those soldiers back from Dunkirk."

Royal Navy sailors stood guard as the hearse arrived

Mr Churcher went on to serve in the Mediterranean, at D-Day and ended the war in East Asia.

After World War Two he worked for a printing firm, sold ice creams and became a football referee.

He attended Portsmouth FC matches from 1928 and was hailed by the club as one of their oldest fans.

Mr Churcher's private funeral service was attended by family and friends.

Mr Churcher, pictured in later life laying a poppy wreath, was awarded France' highest order of merit