The life of 101-year-old D-Day veteran Hector Duff OBE was celebrated at a funeral service held at St Peter’s Church in Onchan today.

In attendance were the Lieutenant Governor Sir Richard Gozney, Chief Minister Howard Quayle, Speaker of the House of Keys Juan Watterson, Chief Constable Gary Roberts and numerous other MHKs.

A guard of honour consisting of police and standard bearers from the island’s Royal British Legions assembled outside, and remained standing to attention in the back of the filled church for the entire service.

The ’Manx Fisherman’s Evening Hymn’ was played as people entered the church, and ’Ellan Vannin’ played by bagpipes and organ during the procession’s exit.

Rev. Alessandra Di Chiara gave the service, followed by blessings from the Bishop, the Right Reverend Peter Eagles.

Royal Tank Regiment veteran and former governor Sir Lawrence New, who delivered the eulogy, spoke about there being five ’layers’ to Hector’s long life - the first and most important being his ’private and family’ layer.

This was followed by the second phase of his life - his training as an infantryman in 1940 before his service in the ’Desert Rats’ 7th Armoured Division, seeing combat in North Africa and Normandy.

The third layer involved Hector’s homecoming to the island, and his service in the police - reaching the rank of sergeant before retiring in 1972.

The fourth layer was work as a driving instructor, followed by the final phase of his life which involved his tireless dedication to Remembrance activities and caring for veterans, becoming president of the Onchan Royal British Legion and working with the Spirit of Normandy Trust.

He noted that Hector remained a man of faith, having requested communion on November 25, just days before his death last Monday.

His coffin was adorned with his medals, which included the Military Medal for Bravery and the French Legion d’honneur.

Onlookers who gathered along Onchan’s main road to watch his funeral cortege were visibly emotional.

Hector was also well known throughout the island’s schools where he shared stories of the realities of war with the students - and a group of 44 children from Onchan School gathered at the war memorial to pay their respects as the cortege drove past.

They fell silent as the police stopped the traffic on the road, before breaking out into applause as the hearse drove past.