A FORMER Royal Navy signalman, who went on to become president of an Oxfordshire branch of the Royal British Legion, has died aged 86.

Ron Gregory served on minesweepers and escorted ships to protect trade routes during the 1940s but was seriously injured when his ship hit a mine. While recovering from his injuries, he was presented with his long service badge by King George VI.

He joined the Oxford branch of the Royal British Legion in 1949 and later transferred to the Marston branch, of which he became chairman, vice president and president.

Mr Gregory was brought up in Iffley and joined the Royal Navy in 1942 as a boy signalman, later graduating to become a leading signalman.

During the 1940s, he served on minesweepers in the English Channel and North Sea and helped convoys bringing supplies to the UK, and later taking supplies to the Russian ports of Murmansk and Archangel.

But, in 1947, he was discharged from the Navy as medically unfit after his ship hit a mine. He lost a kidney and had to have his ankle rebuilt following the blast.

Mr Gregory spent nine months in the Royal Naval Hospital in Chatham and had several life-saving operations.

While he was there, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited the hospital and the King presented Mr Gregory with his badge for long service.

After being discharged from hospital, he returned to Oxford and started work as a heavy goods vehicle driver for Cowley company BRS Ltd.

Following retirement from the haulier firm, he became a caretaker and doorman at All Souls College in Oxford, where he continued into his seventies.

He joined the Oxford branch of the British Legion – which later became the Royal British Legion in 1949 but transferred to the Marston and district branch in 1963.

He went on to became chairman, vice president and president of the branch and was presented with the gold badge, the highest award given by the RBL, in 2003 for his service to the legion.

In 2007, he was given a life membership certificate by the branch committee.

Mr Gregory was married to Patricia, who died in 2003. The couple lived in Chillingworth Crescent, Wood Farm, and had three children, Carol, Teresa, and Terence. They also had five grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren.

He died following a blood clot on October 10.

A funeral service for Mr Gregory will be held at Oxford Crematorium today at 9am. Donations will be collected for Leukaemia Research.