Last Post send off as funeral for 100 year-old Second World War veteran is held

Dennis Smith, who was from Dormanstown and lived in Eston, was just a teenager when he took part in the Normandy landings on D-Day.

A 100 year-old war veteran who took part in the Normandy landings on D-Day and was given France’s highest honour has been laid to rest.

Dennis Smith’s funeral took place on Tuesday at St Anne’s RC Church, in Whale Hill, Eston, followed by a committal at Teesside Crematorium.

Mr Smith, who died last month, lived at the Astune Rise care home in Eston and in his younger days served with the Green Howards and Black Watch regiments during the Second World War.

He later received the Légion d’Honneur, recognising his part in the liberation of France from Nazi forces.

Both his former regiments were represented at the funeral, while a bugler also played the Last Post.

Mr Smith’s son Paul said he was a lovely man and had been proud of his military service.

He said the funeral had been immensely moving with the two regiments paying him a great tribute.

Many tributes were also paid on Facebook with Mr Smith also being described as “amazing” and a “true gentleman”.

Eston ward councillor David Taylor, who is Redcar and Cleveland Council’s armed forces champion and himself a former soldier, said: “I’ve been very fortunate to spend time with Dennis and to share some special occasions with him.

“Dennis was a true local hero, one of a generation to whom we owe so much.”

Cllr Taylor said Mr Smith was an example of “ordinary young men from communities like ours who were called upon to do extraordinary things”.

He added: “Sadly fewer and fewer of that generation remain with us and every time we lose one of them, we lose another first hand connection to historic events.

“That makes it even more important that we continue telling their stories and making sure future generations understand what they did and the sacrifices they made.”

Earlier this year Mr Smith marked his centenary with a celebration at Eston and Normanby Social Club, where he was joined by MP Anna Turley, Redcar and Cleveland Mayor, Councillor Ian Hart, and the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Jo Ropner.

During the celebrations he was presented with a birthday card sent from The King and Queen.

Born in Dormanstown, Mr Smith was just 16 when in 1944 he joined the Green Howards and was deployed to France, later transferring to the Black Watch regiment.

He also undertook military service in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, and had a peace keeping role in Italy.

After leaving the armed forces, he trained as a sheet metal worker and then became a bus driver with United Buses, where he met his late wife Rose, the pair marrying in 1952 and a year later having a child, Paul.

Mr Smith, a grandfather and great grandfather, also spent 17 years working as a shift inspector at ICI on Teesside.