Funeral 'with all the trimmings' to be held for Oxfordshire RAF pilot and D-Day hero

The funeral of an RAF veteran who was one of the last survivors of D-Day is due to take place on Monday morning (13 March).

Ken Handley, from Cropredy, died in February at the age of 98. His life and achievements will be celebrated during a service at St Mary the Virgin church.

Ken had left instructions that he would like a 'full military funeral with all the trimmings', with loved ones determined 'that's exactly what he's going to get'.

He joined up as a 17-year-old during the Second World War.

Mr. Handley was only 20 when he travelled to Normandy in the wake of the D-Day landings in 1944, as part of a fully armed RAF signals unit.

He was tasked with giving communications support to air forces as they advanced.

In 2021 he was given a Liberator's Medal by the Dutch government in recognition of the part he played in the liberation of the Dutch people in the final year of the war.

The Dutch military Attaché travelled to Cropredy from London to make the presentation.

Chris Adams, the chair of the RAF Association in Banbury, said: "RAFA Banbury Branch & Club are proud of you Ken and thanks your for your service."

The association is reopening its ground floor bar area as as the Ken Handley Lounge in honour of the RAF pilot on Saturday 18 March.