such a real shame, a sad reflection on today's society :(
http://news.sky.com/story/1166285/funeral-appeal-after-wwii-veteran-dies-alone
Gods speed Harold RIP
I do a bit of moonlighting for a Funeral Director locally and this sadly is quite a common occurence. Very often the only people in attendance is the vicar and the coffin bearers. :(
There is a facebook appeal too and a few local veterans have got in touch and will be attending which restores the faith in society :)
It's always nice to see the positive power of the internet in full effect:
Harold Jellicoe Percival, a veteran of Bomber Command in WWII, died last month aged 99. The death notice in his local paper said that there was nobody to attend his funeral.
(http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BYljsgFIYAAcvuQ.jpg)
Twitter picked up the story, in the hope that somebody might be able to attend.
(http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BYljsgFIYAAcvuQ.jpg)
His local paper, the Blackpool Gazette, also covered the story.
(http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BYl4wklCQAAPfQ5.jpg)
And as a result today, at 11 a.m. on Armistice Day, hundreds of people — service personnel and civilians — gathered in the rain at Lytham Park Crematorium to pay their last respects to Harold.
(http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BYyLlGSIcAAAvzi.jpg)
(http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BYyOyPaCMAEKm3C.jpg)
(http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BYyNaLpCYAAWQmE.jpg)
(http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BYyOXNQCEAAYlTp.jpg)
(http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BYyNDx6CQAAmunY.jpg)
(http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BYyO3y5IYAA0Yle.jpg)
(http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2013-11/enhanced/webdr07/11/10/enhanced-buzz-16263-1384184894-22.jpg)
Harold Percival's coffin, draped in a union flag before the funeral.
(http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BYyQdXqCEAA6l34.jpg)
(http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BYySi97IYAEpnl7.jpg)
(http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2013-11/enhanced/webdr01/11/10/enhanced-buzz-15702-1384184873-19.jpg)
An army cadet wears a poppy during the funeral in Lytham St Annes.
(http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2013-11/enhanced/webdr07/11/10/enhanced-buzz-16909-1384184834-12.jpg)
(http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2013-11/enhanced/webdr06/11/6/enhanced-buzz-27294-1384168052-4.jpg)
Well done to everyone who turned out.
=D>
Hear, hear.
Cheers - Phil.
You can't but help to be moved by things like this. Well done to all who turned up to pay their last respects to Harold.