FRIENDS have remembered the fundraising spirit of one of the nation’s last surviving First World War veterans, who sold poppies until he was 105.

The Watlington branch of the Royal British Legion said they planned to carry on selling as many poppies as possible from William ‘Bill’ Stone’s favou-rite fundraising spot outside the Post Office.

Mr Stone, who lived in Watlington, died in January aged 108.

On November 11 last year, Mr Stone attended the Remembrance Day ceremony in Whitehall to mark the 90th anniversary of Armistice Day with the two other survivors of the Great War, Harry Patch and Henry Allingham, both of whom have also since died.

RBL branch secretary and retired army sergeant Derek Elliott, 82, said: “He was a much loved character in the town and everyone knew him and he knew everyone.

“At Remembrance time, he used to sit outside the post office wearing his medals and selling poppies until he was about 105. He was a very jovial fellow and had lots of stories from his long past. He was a very happy man.

“He had a lot of memories because he served at sea for many years and right throughout the Second World War and served for a lot longer than a lot of us. But he only dwelled on the happy memories.

“He will be missed this year, but there are lots of us to carry on the good work.”

Mr Stone was the last man to have served in both the Great War and the Second World War. He was at Dunkirk, sailed on convoys suppling aid to Russia, and was mentioned in dispatches at the Invasion of Sicily. He also played a part in the war against U-boats.

Last year, the Watlington branch raised more than £5,000. Members are hoping to beat that this year.

Branch treasurer George Preston, 82, said: “He was quite a celebrity because of his age. I suppose, because he was popular, people were prepared to donate more, if they saw him they would probably go to him.”

He added: “We will just carry on where Bill left off.”

Ken Crook, 85, of Chiltern Gardens, Watlington, knew Mr Stone for more than 20 years.

He said: “We will miss him, he was a great stalwart with our poppy collection. Without him we will have to work a little bit harder.”

Mr Stone, who had 13 brothers and sisters, moved to Watlington in 1986 and continued to live in his own home until he was 106. He spent the last two years of his life at a care home in Sindlesham, near Reading.

The Legion will sell poppies in the town on Nove-mber 6 and 7.