Funeral in Stalmine of Second World War hero who joined RAF Regiment as a teenager

Albert (Bert) Alfred Farmer, of Galway Avenue, Bispham, died at the age of 98 last month after a short spell in Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

But he was just a teenager when he joined the fight against Hitler as a member of the newly formed RAF regiment, almost exactly 80 years ago.

This new regiment officially came into effect in February 1942, when Albert was just 18, and from the start it had 66,000 personnel drawn from other squadrons.

Typical missions would include the recovery of downed aircrew and the dogged defence of airfields at a time whey they were certain targets for enemy attacks.

At first Albert was based in North Africa but he also saw service in Europe.

Great grandfather Alfred was one of the last surviving members of that original RAF Regiment, and members of the Armed Forces were there to pay their respects when his funeral was held at St James Church in Stalmine on Friday (May 6).

His son Leroy Farmer, 50, of Preesall, said: “My dad was a independent character right until the end and his still lived in his own house until he went into hospital after his fall.

"He didn’t talk about his war service a great deal, but he said he was proud to join up as spoon as he could.

"He grew up in London and at the start of the war he saw the Spitfires fighting the Messerschmitts in their dog fights over the city during the Battle of Britain.

"After the war he received a number of medals for his service.

"He was one of seven children who all fought in the Second World War, and they were unusually lucky in that they all came back alive.”

Born in Penarth, near Cardiff, Albert and his family moved to Guildford in Surrey when he was young and he joined the Home Guard as a teenager before moving to London and then joining up.

He was married and divorced twice and came to the Fylde coast in 1964, working as a tailor and later a painter and decorator.

Albert leaves daughter Tina, son Leroy, grandchildren Jaden and Kellie, and great grandchildren Lily and Lola.