Latest news with #WilliamDarnell
BBC News
30-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Strangers give Hull veteran, 102, a 'heartwarming' send-off
Dozens of strangers came together to give an Army veteran "a nice send-off" after he died aged 102 without close relatives. Neighbours of William Darnell, from Hull, launched an appeal to ensure he was not "alone on his final journey".Ex-serviceman Tony Irwin, 85, was among dozens of people who responded. He said: "We always come to pay our respect to any veterans, especially ones with no families. They just need us to give them a good send off." Funeral director Nicola Mortimer said: "It's heartwarming and lovely to see so many people turned out for a gentleman they didn't know, to recognise what he did for his country." Mr Darnell, from the Holderness Road area of the city, served with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical his death, his neighbour Joanne Barlow contacted Hull4Heroes, a charity that supports veterans, in the hope of providing him with a good charity issued an appeal on social media, urging people to attend. Ms Mortimer said: "It would have been really sad if he was by himself. It's quite heartbreaking when something like that happens, especially someone his age and after what he's done for the country. "He deserves a nice send-off, and that's what he got today from strangers." Sgt Ross Melon was among members of 21 Engineer Regiment, based in Ripon, who saw the Hull4Heroes appeal and attended the funeral "to give Bill the send-off he deserved". "We all feel duty-bound and honoured to come and speak and witness his celebration of life," he said. Maureen Robinson attended the funeral after seeing the post online and deciding she should be able to "spend 10 minutes to come here and pay my respects for somebody who did everything for us". She added: "He didn't know me as I wasn't born when he served, but he did everything he could for everybody else. I've been crying already, I just think the turnout's amazing."I'm sure he would be proud." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Call for people to attend funeral of veteran, 102
An appeal has been made for people to attend the funeral of an Army veteran. William Darnell, who served with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, died recently at the age of 102. Hull4Heroes, a charity founded by Paul Matson, a veteran himself, issued the appeal on social media. The post read: "William sadly has no surviving family, but his kind-hearted neighbours want to ensure he receives the farewell he truly deserves – let's make sure William is not alone on his final journey." The request for the charity to help came from Joanne Barlow, Mr Darnell's neighbour in the Holderness Road area of the city. She said: "We started to get to know William during the pandemic when we offered him help with shopping and things. "We took him out for his Covid injection and when he saw young kids on the street he would say that at that age he had to join the Army. "That's how we started to learn a bit about his past, although we still didn't know a lot about him." With no known surviving relatives, Ms Barlow said it was really important that he was given a proper send off. "I'm pleased to see that lots of people have responded to the call out from Hull4Heroes," she added. One of those to respond to the post was motorcyclist Paul Perry, 68, who lives in Wakefield. He said he would be attending the funeral along with members of the Veterans and Riders Support Group. "There'll be at least two of us there on Harley-Davidsons," he added. "We have a motto that no vet should leave this earth alone," he added. Mr Matson said: "All our veterans feel a sad loss when any veteran dies, just like they do in the police force, the fire service and such-like. It's good to pay our respects." Mr Darnell's funeral will be held on Monday at 11:00 BST in the small chapel at Chanterlands Avenue Crematorium in Hull. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Veterans' village project gets £500k boost Family 'moved' by funeral turnout for WW2 veteran Huge response to funeral appeal for WW2 veteran Hull4Heroes
BBC News
28-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Hull4Heroes urges people to attend funeral of veteran, 102
An appeal has been made for people to attend the funeral of an Army Darnell, who served with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, died recently at the age of a charity founded by Paul Matson, a veteran himself, issued the appeal on social post read: "William sadly has no surviving family, but his kind-hearted neighbours want to ensure he receives the farewell he truly deserves – let's make sure William is not alone on his final journey." The request for the charity to help came from Joanne Barlow, Mr Darnell's neighbour in the Holderness Road area of the said: "We started to get to know William during the pandemic when we offered him help with shopping and things."We took him out for his Covid injection and when he saw young kids on the street he would say that at that age he had to join the Army. "That's how we started to learn a bit about his past, although we still didn't know a lot about him."With no known surviving relatives, Ms Barlow said it was really important that he was given a proper send off."I'm pleased to see that lots of people have responded to the call out from Hull4Heroes," she added. One of those to respond to the post was motorcyclist Paul Perry, 68, who lives in said he would be attending the funeral along with members of the Veterans and Riders Support Group."There'll be at least two of us there on Harley-Davidsons," he added. "We have a motto that no vet should leave this earth alone," he Matson said: "All our veterans feel a sad loss when any veteran dies, just like they do in the police force, the fire service and such-like. It's good to pay our respects."Mr Darnell's funeral will be held on Monday at 11:00 BST in the small chapel at Chanterlands Avenue Crematorium in Hull. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
