Call goes out to Falkirk veterans to be there for fallen comrade with no family

The Grangemouth branch of the Royal British Legion has issued an urgent online call to brothers in arms to attend the funeral of a veteran who sadly has no family.

Just days before Remembrance Sunday, a message appeared on the Legion’s Facebook site earlier this morning urging people to make it along to the funeral of Roger Grimes, a veteran of World War Two, which takes place in Camelon today.

The post stated: “Urgent – Can anyone please make it to Camelon Crematorium for 10.45am today suited and booted for a WW2 veteran who has no family.”

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Mr Grimes, who was in his 90s, was a serving officer with RAF bomber command and died suddenly leaving no family.

The Legion has been making efforts to trace any family members, but without success.

Ray Burns, Grangemouth British Legion vice chairman, said: “He had good neighbours who looked after him and we got a request yesterday asking if we could muster at the crematorium.

“We have some veterans who are going up for the funeral and taking the standards with them. The standards will be lowered in salute to him.”

It is believed Mr Grimes served as a rear gunner aboard a Lancaster bomber towards the end of World War Two and was involved in special Operation Manna food aid parachute drops over Holland.