A Royal Navy veteran who played a part in crucial battles in the Second World War has died aged 95.

Cedric 'Ced' Hollands died following a short battle with pneumonia at his home in Willesborough last month.

The former seaman fought in numerous naval battles, including the D-Day landings, the Battle of Cape Matapan where five Italian ships were sunk and the Battle of Crete which left his ship – the HMS Warspite – with a big hole.

He was married to his wife Phyllis, who passed away in 2014, for 58 years.

His youngest child, Tracey Wretham, described her dad as her "hero" who was "very loved".

She said: "He was very much a family man. He wasn't a man who spoke emotions, but he would show them.

"Dad would do anything for his children.

"He also had a very strong work ethic - he worked well into his 80s and only stopped when he lost his sight.

"Dad was a gentleman - you would never hear him swear in front of a woman.

"I could go on with stories about him being a hero as my dad, but I’ve always been proud to say he was a war hero too, liberating prisoners of war and seeing much live action, some of which he never managed to speak of again."

Mr Hollands, who was born in Cheriton near Folkestone in 1923, joined the Navy in 1939 at the age of 15.

He worked first as a seaman on the guns and then radar control, locating enemy aircraft and ships.

At the end of the Second World War, he was involved in the Japanese fighting in the Pacific, took part in raids on Sumatra and Burma and called in at Pearl Harbour a month before the bombings there. He left the Navy in 1952.

Afterwards he worked at the Ashford railway works before moving into car repairs, a plastic factory and then into work as a handyman.

He married Phyllis in 1956 and lived in Canterbury, Sellindge and Ashford while raising their family.

A member of the Royal Navy Association, he lost his sight in 2005 to age-related macular degeneration.

He was supported by the Blind Veterans UK and took part in an advertising campaign with the charity encouraging other veterans to seek help.

In 2016 he was awarded the Legion d’honneur, the highest French order for military and civil merits, and foreign nationals who have served France.

Mr Hollands leaves behind his five children, Kim, Anne, Jenny, John and Tracey, plus 37 grandchildren and great grandchildren, with another one on the way.

His funeral will take place at Charing Crematorium tomorrow (Friday) at 1.20pm.

Formal wear for a naval send-off is requested, along with medals. The Last Post will be sounded.

Family flowers and donations to Blind Veterans UK courtesy of Earl & Co Funeral Directors.

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