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Final salute for 'glass half-full' WW2 veteran

Phillip Norton,in Scunthorpeand
Eleanor Maslin,East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
News imageFamily handout A composite image of two photos. On the left is a black and white photo of a young man wearing an army uniform including a shirt jacket and beret. He is smiling into the camera and has short hair slicked to the side. On the right is a family photo with an elderly man with white hair and glasses sitting down smiling in the middle. Family handout
Tom McKenzie, who died at the age of 100, served with the 1st Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment in 1945

A funeral has been held for a 100-year-old veteran who "lived for the day" and served in Burma during World War Two.

Tom McKenzie, from Scunthorpe, was 19 when he served in the 1st Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment in 1945.

Tom Blears, secretary of the Winterton & District Royal British Legion (RBL) branch, who attended the funeral with other legion members, said war veterans were "a fading generation" and we "ought to show them all the respect they deserve".

Lucy Bate, McKenzie's granddaughter, said: "I'm really grateful I had him as my grandad."

The funeral, held at Woodlands Crematorium in Scunthorpe on Thursday, was attended by members of the Winterton & District branch of the RBL along with a contingent from the Royal Yorkshire Regiment.

McKenzie's daughter, Julie Cooper, said he was known by his great grandchildren as "donkey grandad", as he would take them for rides at the seaside.

News imageA funeral procession is passing through a narrow road surrounded by trees and heading towards a crematorium. A black funeral car can be seen with a wooden coffin inside with yellow flowers on the top of it. Members of the Royal British Legion dressed in black suits can be seen walking in front of it and carrying tall flags.
Members of the Royal British Legion paid their respects at Tom McKenzie's funeral on Thursday

Speaking at the funeral, Blears said: "Today is very significant because I don't know if there are any more war veterans living in this immediate area.

"There will be a few up and down the country but they're passing away. It's a fading generation."

Cooper added: "The regiment with the standard bearers...he would have been so proud of that.

"It was a nice, happy service. To have been 100 and so young at heart is quite a quality."

News imageA man in a black beret, navy blazer, white shirt and red and black stripy tie is looking to the side with a serious expression. Behind him appears to be a car park with one white car parked, surrounded by greenery and trees.
Tom Blears, from the Royal British Legion, says war veterans are a "fading generation"

Cooper described her father as a "very fun, happy-go-lucky man".

"He was a glass half-full sort of chap. He lived for the day. He never thought about how old he was.

"You would think he was about 10 sometimes the way he used to skip around before he got ill."

Cooper added that her father had told her about some of his experiences during the war, which she described as "awful".

"It affects them for the rest of their life, but he's also very proud to have been in the regiment."

She said her father always remembered his army number, and would even incorporate it into his lottery numbers.

News imageThree people are standing in front of a crematorium building which is surrounded by trees. On the left is a man in a black shirt with brown hair and a long beard looking to the side. In the middle is a woman with blonde hair, purple-rimmed glasses and a flowery top. She has her arm linked with an older woman next to her who is smiling and has short brown hair, and is wearing a brown cardigan and pink flowery top.
Family members Dorian Bate, Lucy Bate and Julie Cooper said McKenzie would have been proud of the Royal British Legion's involvement at his funeral

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