A war hero who won the Military Medal for fighting the Japanese in the Burma campaign has died aged 86.

Jim Jones lived in Oldbury with his wife Doris.

He was chairman of the West Bromwich branch of the Burma Star Association and leaves his widow, daughter Linda, two grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

He had suffered heart problems in the past.

Mr Jones joined the Army in 1940 as a 16-year-old grocer’s boy from Warley, after lying about his age.

Standing at just 5ft 4ins tall and weighing nine stone he won the Military Medal after he and his team of just a dozen soldiers held a fragile bridgehead in the face of enemy fire in the Burmese jungle.

Mr Jones died on Thursday, after he and Doris had returned from a holiday in Menorca. His family described him as an inspiration. His funeral will be held at West Bromwich Crematorium on Friday at noon.