WWII veteran with only one surviving family member will have hundreds at his funeral after neighbour’s social media plea
Servicemen to honour Lancaster bomber rear gunenr Harry Arrowsmith at ceremony today
A BRAVE WWII veteran is expected to be given a hero's send-off by hundreds of people this afternoon after his neighbour's social media post asking people to attend his funeral went viral.
Harry Arrowsmith died on November 8 at the age of 91, leaving his sister Sheila as his only surviving relative.
Family friend Steve Warren posted a plea to Facebook last Saturday for mourners when he became concerned only 10 people would attend.
But the post went viral and hundreds of people are expected to turn up to the Robin Hood Cemetery in Hall Green, Birmingham, to pay their respects.
Steve, 39, said: "I have known Harry all my life. He was a good friend of my parents and lovely neighbour.
"He was a true gentleman, and always smartly dressed. He always had a shirt and tie.
"When he died it was just going to be Sheila, my family, and a few of the nurses from the home he's lived in for the past year attending.
RELATED STORIES
"But I wanted him to have a proper send-off. With the sacrifice he made, he deserved some respect.
"I'm completely staggered by the response it's had.
"I put the message out to a couple of veterans' groups as they have people who post that they are willing to come to funerals.
"It just sort of took off from there."
The RAF, Burma Star Association, British Legion and Royal National Lifeboat Institution will all send standard bearers to the funeral, and RAF Cosford will provide pallbearers.
Harry was only 14 years old when the Second World War started. Too young to sign up for military service, he began by carrying messages between police stations during air raids.
Keen to help keep German aircraft away from Britain, he signed up with the RAF as soon as he could.
At only five foot tall he was made a rear gunner on the famous Lancaster bombers, which came with a life expectancy of four missions. Harry flew 18.
Steve, who served in the Royal Engineers himself for 14 years, said: "He always wanted to do his duty. It was as simple as that.
"He served even though he knew the risks.
"Then when he left he did not even bother to collect his medals. He thought he had just done his part.
"He was not an Uncle Albert character who went on and on about the war, but he would talk about it if you asked.
"He always remembered it being freezing cold and terrifying.
"He said they used to fly in total darkness, whereas the Germans would have light in the cockpits, so he would just wait until he saw the pilots in that light before opening fire.
"When he did shoot, he said the plane would light up like a Christmas tree and attract all sorts of fire."
After the war ended, Harry continued to serve in the RAF before becoming an engineer.
He flew in the Berlin Airlift of 1948, when allied forces flew supplies into West Berlin when the Soviets cut off land access.
While he was decommissioning one of wartime airfields in Birmingham he met his wife Joan, who worked at Bletchley Park during the war.
They were married for over 60 years until Joan's death six years ago.
Steve said: "Harry and Joan were absolutely lovely people.
"You were always welcome to pop down to their house at any time of day. The kettle was always on.
"Their house was always the stopping point for anyone like the postman or the milkman who was doing their rounds of the area."
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368