A WAR Hero from Bexhill who celebrated his 100th birthday this year has died peacefully, his family has told Bexhill News.
Former Royal Air Force pilot, Flight Sergeant Roy Oldcorn was aged just 20 when he was the pilot of a Lancaster Bomber and was involved in “Operation Manna”, which flew tonnes of food in heavy bombers and to the starving Dutch in the occupied areas in 1944.
A special 100th birthday celebration was held for Roy, who lives in Bexhill, at the Albatross Club in Channel View West in February with family, friends and dignitaries in attendance.
Roy flew several sorties to the area of Rotterdam where he had to pilot his Lancaster at 300 feet, and as slowly as possible, by lowering the undercarriage and flaps to be able to drop the food to the people below.
Roy also took part in other missions such as repatriating POWs from Belgium and Italy.
In recognition of his involvement in these operations, the Dutch Military Attaché, Captain Gerrit Nijenhuis from the Netherlands embassy in London, attended the party to present Roy with a “Thank You Liberator” medal on behalf of the Dutch nation.
Roy was in the RAF from the age of 19 until he was 23, having trained to fly Lancaster bombers in Canada. As Roy excelled in mathematics, this gave him an advantage and he was quickly selected to be a pilot.
His daughter, Karen told Bexhill News: “My lovely Dad, Roy Arthur Oldcorn, has gone to fly higher. He died peacefully at St Nectans, Bexhill, on Thursday 19th December. I was blessed to have him as a Dad and to make lovely memories with him for so long.”
Roy leaves his loving wife Sue.
Read all about Roy in the two features from Bexhill News below…
Former WW2 Pilot who took part in Operation Manna celebrated his 100th birthday in style.
Bexhill’s former RAF pilot takes to the skies once more in celebration of 100th birthday
