The funeral has taken place for a centenarian and D-Day hero.

Leslie Nower survived enemy bombardment in Normandy after the Allied landed there.

He met his wife while serving during the Second World War and his first child was born four days before it ended in Europe.

In later years he became known for his senior positions in groups such as Sandwich Town Cricket Club.

Mr Nower, died aged 101 on December 1 and his funeral service took place at St Bartholomew's Church in Sandwich last Thursday with about 50 people attending. This was followed by cremation at Barham.

Leslie Nower was born in the town on July 29, 1920.

He joined the RAF in 1940, working as a clerk, and was eventually posted to RAF Stafford where he met his wife, Winifred Wanostroch.

"The radar screens were black with all the aircraft flying."

This was on July 22, 1942, the day after she had moved there and the day after her 21st birthday.

She was a Corporal in charge of the cookhouse and the couple married on June 21, 1943.

Mr Nower became part of the invasion force on D-Day, June 6, 1944, arriving with comrades on a converted landing craft on Omaha Beach.

He later wrote in a memoir: "American battleships were bombarding the coast – a sight I shall never forget.

"The sea was absolutely full of ships and the radar screens were black overnight with all the aircraft which were flying."

Mr Nower was based in Normandy over the next month and in the early hours of July 7 he and his comrades had to abandon their craft because of an aerial torpedo attack.

He wrote: "I went hand over hand down a 30 ft (9.1 metre) rope. Four or five of us swam to a Royal Navy float some distance away, which had been dropped by our escorting destroyer, and were picked up some three to four hours later."

During two weeks' survivor's leave he had another narrow escape when a V1 flying bomb fell close to him when he was taking a train to London.

He said: "I just got on when a Doodlebug dropped quite close and a sailor in the carriage said get on the floor."

In 2016 Mr Nower received the Legion d’Honneur medal, France's highest military honour, for his action on D-Day.

It was while being posted at Norfolk that he learned from his wife that their first son, Douglas, was born ,on May 4, 1945. They ended up with four boys, the others being John, Michael and Christopher.

Mr Nower finally left the RAF in 1946 and he and his family settled in St Bart's Road in Sandwich.

In civilian years he was a clerk for four firms of solicitors in Sandwich.

Mr Nower was secretary of Sandwich Town Cricket Club from 1938 to 1971 and treasurer from 1950 to 1971.

He was its chairman from 1972 until 1990 and in 2009 became its president.

Amongst his many other involvements with Sandwich were as secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, member of the local Royal British Legion and as part of the town twinning scheme with Honfleur in Normandy.

He and Mrs Nower set up the Sandwich branch of the the Royal Air Force Associaton with him as chairman and her a treasurer.

Mr Nower also organised several Remembrance parades in te town.

As a young man he started the Lido Dance Band, which included members of the Royal Marines School of Music in Deal.

Mrs Nower died in March 2003 and Mr Nower spent his last years at the Vicarage Residential Care Home in Tilmanstone,

He also leaves 45 grandchildren, great-grandchilden and great-great-grandchildren.