Funeral of Gwent war hero fittingly set to take place on Remembrance Day at 11am

The family of Pontypool paratrooper Donald Jones have planned to hold the hero’s service then as a way to commemorate his legacy.

As one of the first soldiers dropped into occupied Europe in the early hours of D-Day, his daughters, Jan Tucker-Jones and Alison Sutcliffe, who are organising the funeral with their brother Richard, said when they looked at the dates ‘it made perfect sense’ to hold it on the 11th of the 11th.

Ms Tucker-Jones, 58, said: “He will be sorely missed. To many he will be irreplaceable.

“After he retired he nursed and cared for my mum until she passed away a few years after their golden wedding anniversary.”

Mr Jones, who lived on Broadway, passed away on October 26, 11 days short of his 94th birthday.

Read Don Jones' incredible story here.

Donald Jones’ daughters, Jan Tucker-Jones (left) and Alison Sutcliffe, had the feature about their father and written by Argus reporter Martin Wade, framed.

On D-Day, he played an important role in leading the liberation of the first village in France.

Trained as an apprentice welder before the war, once discharged Mr Jones worked as a mechanical engineer at Llanwern Steelworks from the 1960s until his retirement. In his spare time he was also secretary of the Pontypool Garden Society.

Ms Tucker-Jones added: “He was discharged in the late 40s sometime after the war and was discharged and sent back from Singapore in what he called ‘the sick boat’.

“He was a real good egg you know, and he loved his gardening.

“Both my parents lived life to the full, when they retired they were always going on holidays abroad and could be right party animals.”

The funeral will be held at Gwent Crematorium.