Fond farewell to D-Day veteran Rose Davies as ceremony marks 'extraordinary' life of 107-year-old
By all accounts Rose Davies, D-Day veteran, volunteer and charity patron was a "most remarkable" woman.
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Not just because she reached the astonishing age of 107 before she died at her Shrewsbury home on March 22 this year but because of her "indomitable" character and the love she gave as a mother, grand mother and great grandmother.
Mrs Davies was also one of a rapidly diminishing band of veterans who took part in the momentous D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. The 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Nazi occupied Europe, which led to the end of the Second Word War, will be marked later this year.
She was in charge of radar operators on the Isle of Wight as she massive Allied invasion force made its way across the English Channel to land on the heavily defended beaches of Normandy.
Her funeral service at St Chad's in Shrewsbury on Monday was told that she knew then, when one "could not see the water between the ships" of the great armada, that many of those brave soldiers, sailors and airmen would not be coming home.
An all-female honour guard of eight and a warrant officer came with others from RAF Shawbury to pay tribute to the life of one of their own.
Linton Waters, the chair of trustees at the Omega charity which provides Chatterbox befrienders for lonely and isolated people, is in no doubt that she "kept people alive" in both her wartime role and as a befriender.
Speaking before the service at St Chad's Mr Waters said: "She would have saved lives in her radar work keeping watch over the fleet.
"And there are probably people living because of her charity work."
Mrs Davies, a widow, was also a Samaritan for 40 years, and the vice president of the Shropshire branch of the Royal Air Force Association.
The Rev Chris Walker, a personal friend as well as leading the funeral service, said hers was a "most remarkable human life. Golly, what a woman!"
He described her as having Christianity as a "dominant driving force" and added "what a privilege it is to be here." He had discussed life and death with Mrs Davies and had told her that she would outlive him.
