FORMER national vice-president and chairman of the Royal British Legion, Charles Busby, has died. He was 87.

For many years, Mr Busby was a major figure in Kent Royal British Legion, the Royal British Legion Industries and at the Royal British Legion Village, Aylesford, where an accommodation block was named after him.

After war service in the RAF, Mr Busby was assisted to find a university course by the RBL and in return he and his late wife, Diana, founded a branch of the RBL in their home village of Benenden.

That was the start of Mr Busby’s long career of service with the RBL. He became Kent chairman, area chairman, national vice chairman and finally national chairman, the first RAF officer to hold that post.

Mrs Busby died in 2004. The couple had no children.