A DECORATED war veteran from Milton Abbot, described by his family as 'inspirational', died at the age of 89 on March 6.

Len Chester was well known with local residents and veterans for his time spent in the Second World War on the Arctic Convoys to Russia.

Len joined the Royal Marines as a boy bugler at the tender age of 14 in May 1939, four months before World War Two broke out. He started on the convoys in September 1942.

In 2014, Len received an Arctic Star Medal and the Ushakov Medal for the maritime missions in which he and his fellow British servicemen battled bombers, U-boats and horrific weather conditions to ferry vital war supplies to Russia, which had been invaded by Nazi Germany in 1941.

Len, who would have turned 90 on Easter Sunday, died peacefully at his home surrounded by his family on March 6 following a six month illness.

His daughter Lynne Hatwell said: 'We will miss him very much; he was an amazing man.

'He was a very wise man, and never had a cross word to say — he was a forgiving and generous man.'

Len leaves behind his daughter Lynne, son-in-law Dave and grandchildren Laura, Tommy and Robin.

• All are invited to celebrate Len's life at the funeral at St Eustachius' Church, Tavistock, on Tuesday, March 24 at 2pm. The family would like sympathisers to wear colourful clothing.