Tributes were paid to Second World War hero Gilbert Clarke after his death aged 100.
The veteran lied about his age, joining the RAF in his native Jamaica, before being sent to Britain on a troop ship via the United States where he proudly served as a mechanic and radar operator.
Stationed at British and American air bases he fitted, serviced and repaired radar and other electronic equipment for frontline fighter planes, including Hurricanes and Spitfires.
For him, like so many others from the Windrush generation, he answered the call to serve.
Selfless Gilbert left his family and friends in the West Indies to volunteer in 1943.
Speaking previously he said: “I volunteered like so many millions of others from Britain, the Commonwealth and elsewhere out of a sense of duty, to fight for king and country, and play my part in ensuring we left the world a better place for everyone.”
Born in Montego Bay on December 3, 1925, Gilbert was just 16 years old at the time he signed up. Despite lying about his age he successfully passed all the required tests and basic training before travelling by sea to Liverpool.
In 1944, he served as a radar mechanic at a modest Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire.
He said: “I was a poor, barefoot Jamaican in Montego Bay, wanting to be a flight mechanic and to help serve during the war in Europe.
“It was an emotional time for my mother, especially since she had previously lost her husband - my father - when I was just three years old. For her and the rest of my family, my departure was difficult, but they did not stop me, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Gilbert settled in Britain, becoming a father of eight, grandfather of 12, great-grandfather of 11, and great-great-grandfather of 3. He had lived with his eldest daughter, Norma, in Plaistow, East London.
The wheelchair-bound warrior was a regular at trips organised by the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, including pilgrimages to the D-Day beaches and its annual seaside shindig in Worthing where he would tuck into an ice cream (and a tot or two of rum) and reminisce with his wartime pals.
His death comes less than a fortnight before the 82nd anniversary of the Normandy landings.
Gilbert was training to service radar equipment when the Normandy fabled invasion began on June 6, 1944, but he did not realise the magnitude of what was unfolding.
He recalled seeing hundreds of aircraft roaring overhead on their way to the northern French coast and cheering as the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe had started.
He said: "I used to repair the equipment, test and take them to planes.
"At that time Britain was low on equipment so if things came in damaged we tried to salvage what we could and put them back in the planes.
"We were in the workshop mending bits and pieces, testing instruments, and we could hear a droning noise.
"Think of it as one plane, think about fifty planes, think about five hundred planes, think about a thousand planes.
"You couldn’t see the sky, it was all black with planes.
"We asked the Sergeant and he said ‘This is it, they’re going to Europe.’ And we all shouted ‘Give them hell boys.’”
Taxi Charity chairman Colin Mills said: “Gilbert represented the very best of his generation - courageous, humble and devoted to his country during one of the darkest periods in our history.
“It was an honour for our charity and our volunteer London cab drivers to spend time with Gilbert over the years at commemorations, social events and trips where his warmth, humour and remarkable stories touched so many people. Veterans like Gilbert are at the heart of everything the Taxi Charity stands for, and we will forever be grateful for his service and sacrifice.
“I personally felt it was a real privilege to be Gilbert’s driver on his last trip abroad with the West Indian Regiment to Ypres - a journey I will never forget and one that meant so much to all involved.
“As the number of WWII veterans sadly continues to diminish, it becomes ever more important that we preserve their memories and ensure future generations understand the freedoms they fought so hard to protect.
“Gilbert’s legacy will live on through the lives he inspired and the friendships he made within the Taxi Charity family.
“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with Gilbert’s family, friends and all who had the privilege of knowing him. He will be greatly missed and never forgotten. Stand easy Gilbert, your duty is done.”