Community Urged to Attend Funeral of World War Two Veteran

The relatives of a World War Two veteran are requesting community members to be present at his funeral following his death at 99 years old. Ron Banks, a Royal Navy veteran originally from Warrington, died last month in Preston; his funeral is scheduled for Friday. Sara Singleton, his niece, who provided care for Mr. Banks until his passing, stated that fewer than 10 individuals were anticipated to attend her uncle’s funeral service. Mrs. Singleton expressed her desire to offer others, particularly fellow veterans, a chance to honor him, remarking: “They might not know Ron, but there’s so few people who served in WW2 who are still alive and we just owe a debt to them.” Mr. Banks, born in Warrington in 1925, enlisted in the Royal Navy at the age of 17, serving as an anti-aircraft gunner aboard the HMS Glory. He was present on the vessel when Japanese officers formally signed a surrender document on 2 September 1945, according to Mrs. Singleton. She mentioned that his naval service ignited his passion for travel, a pursuit he continued into his 80s alongside his wife Vera, who passed away in 2016. His journeys involved revisiting locations he had encountered during the war, such as Hiroshima following the atomic bomb’s detonation. She further noted, “He was amazed at how the Japanese had rebuilt their city.” Mrs. Singleton also stated, “The only place he told us he’d not been is Russia.” Mrs. Singleton conveyed her wish to guarantee that Mr. Banks’s narrative would endure, given that he had no children. She commented: “We’ll continue to tell his story. If you don’t share it, it goes with them.” While arranging Mr. Banks’s funeral, Mrs. Singleton remarked on the “poignant” timing, noting it would occur just before Remembrance weekend – a period during which Mr. Banks consistently participated in special services. She recounted, “He used to put his medals on and take the wreath down the front of the church.” Assisted by the Royal Naval Association, the family has issued an appeal on Facebook inviting individuals to attend his funeral service, scheduled for Friday. Mrs. Singleton stated, “We were just overwhelmed by [the response], looking at the comments on Facebook.” She expressed feeling honored to have assisted the “fiercely independent” Mr. Banks during his last years, performing tasks such as delivering groceries and laundry. She quoted him saying, “He used to say ‘I’ll be forever in your debt’ and I thought, ‘no, it’s the other way around’.” The funeral service will take place on Friday from 11:15 to 12:15 GMT at Preston Crematorium.