D-DAY veteran Doug Lakey, who fought in one of the campaign's most pivotal battles, has died at the age of 95.

Mr Lakey, who lived in Warminster, was only 24 when he and thousands of Allied Troops took part in the Normandy landings at the height of the Second World War in June 1944.

A technical assistant to the battery commander, Mr Lakey took part in small skirmishes before his first real battle on July 10 – the infamous battle for Hill 122 and the objective of capturing the village of Maltot.

Promoted to Bombardier with the 112 Field Regiment Royal Artillery, Mr Lakey’s role meant he was up with the frontline troops, observing and correcting fire as he supported the 7th Hampshire Infantry Regiment through France, Belgium, Holland and Germany until the war ended.

The veteran’s funeral will take place at Minster Church in Warminster on Thursday at 1pm.

Roger Palusinski, former secretary of the now defunct Wiltshire branch of the Normandy Veterans’ Association, said: “It was in the last five years that I came across Doug and he was quite a character, that’s why I liked him.

“He was a great story teller and he would go into great detail while also making them humorous because he had a really good sense of humour.

“We are planning to organise a mini-bus so all the veterans go to his funeral because they all have a unique bond that many of us can’t understand and it’s vitally important we do everything we can.”

Mr Lakey attended the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings last year in Normandy, as did fellow veteran Bob Conway.

The 89-year-old, who served with the Royal Army Service Corps in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany during the war, said: “He was a very nice and quiet bloke.

“We should all be there at this funeral because he was one of us and it’s like a family.”

Mr Conway’s wife, Gwen, added: “He was a lovely man, extremely quiet but he always made of point of coming over to me at gatherings, because I’m blind, and he never ignored me.

“He also sent me flowers on my birthday and he used to say ‘I can’t send Bob flowers but I can send you them because you’re such a lovely couple’. He was very kind.”