Brave Edward beat the odds

Blackpool-born Edward Wane’s army career saw him scraping ice from ships travelling through the Arctic before ending the war in the blistering heat of Egypt, in the naval police.

The great-grandfather, who lived in Hambleton with his wife Joyce, defied the odds even by living to the end of the war after suffering injuries so severe his mother was sent a telegram to say he was dying.

His son Paul, 59, paid tribute to a man who loved life and taking walks with his dog Whisky.

He said: “He was a character and lived life to the full when he was younger, that’s for sure.

“He had a dog and they used to go walking round Garstang together – he is being buried with a picture of his dog.”

Edward had battled with lung disease COPD for the past year and died in Blackpool Victoria Hospital on November 16.

Paul, who also lives in Hambleton, said: “Some of the things he told me about the war were horrific. Some of the boys on the Arctic convoy lost their eyes because they were frozen.

“They had to be on look-out and the discipline was absolutely rigid.

“One thing that stuck in his mind – he mentioned it three times – was when an aircraft came in and the undercarriage had collapsed.

“He went with an axe to cut the pilot out, quite a young boy, but couldn’t get to him and he burned to death.”

Edward was one of seven siblings and had two grandchildren, Gemma and Karina, as well as a two-year-old great-granddaughter, Mia.

The funeral will take place at Lytham Crematorium on Tuesday at 12pm.

Telegram said he was dying – but he didn’t

Edward Wane joined the Royal Navy in 1939 at the start of the war, serving on the treacherous Arctic convoys before later working on ships travelling across the Atlantic and finally volunteering to join the naval police in Egypt.

After the war he spent time with the Air Ministry at RAF Weeton, ending his working life as a printer for the North West Water Authority.

Son Paul said: “At one point he was quite badly injured and was sent back to England.

“They actually sent a telegram to his mother saying that he was dying and wouldn’t make it.

“He obviously did and while he was in Plymouth he saw a notice saying ‘volunteers wanted’.

“He had no clue what he was volunteering for but ended up having the time of his life – he volunteered as a military policeman in Egypt.

“He finished the war there, in Alexandria.

“When he came out he went to RAF Weeton – I remember going there with him as a boy.”

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