‘A real hero, an excellent teacher and good friend’: Tributes as former Shropshire D-Day veteran dies aged 107
Colin Cole became a SEND teacher after the war.
Tributes have been paid to a former Shropshire teacher and D-Day veteran, who pulled injured airmen from the Channel during the Normandy landings, who has died aged 107.
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Colin Cole, from Gobowen, served for five years in the Royal Air Force sea rescue - starting in 1939.
He initially flew as a Lysander wireless operator but an injury meant he had to enlist in the RAF Air Sea Rescue Service.
Operating on the High-Speed Launch 126, his primary role was to recover allied and enemy aircrew who had bailed out of damaged aircraft over the sea.
Saving countless lives over the course of the war, Colin was on duty in the English Channel during the Dunkirk evacuation and the D-Day landings - despite never having learnt to swim.
After his military career, he began teaching at Oswestry Church of England School, and specialised in helping children with special educational needs to read.
However, closer friend Mike Souttar says Colin died on Saturday at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, aged 107.
He said: “He passed away last Saturday at around 11.15am. We can’t thank the nurses at the hospital enough for their end of life care they gave Colin, as well as the girls at Meadowbrook Court - they were brilliant with him.”
In a written tribute, friend Jane Kynaston, said: “Former pupils who attended the National School in Welsh Walls in the 1950's and 60's might remember a lovely teacher called Colin Cole. Sadly, Colin died in the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital at the incredible age of 107.
“Up until a month ago, Colin was still living independently in his bungalow at Meadowbrook and up until a year ago he was still working voluntarily at Oswestry Police Station monitoring the town CCTV system.
“He had a noteworthy RAF career in WW2 in his younger days, as a radio operator on Lysander planes, followed by Air Sea Rescue boats in the English Channel.
“He was a remarkable man, a real hero, an excellent teacher and a good friend. He will be sadly missed by many.”
A funeral service to Colin, who was a widow to wife Joan, has yet to be arranged.
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