THE family of a much-adored husband, father, grandfather and Great Grandfather have paid tribute to him after he passed away at the age of 103.

Roy Hemmings, known affectionately as Pappy, died on March 23, after a life full of family fun and adventure including being a Royal navy hero in WW2.

Roy met the love of his life, wife Joan, now 100-years-old, when he as just 17 and a sea scout and she was a Girl Guide.

They married in September 1941 and shared a two day honeymoon in Weston-Super-Mare. Blissfully married for over eighty years, the duo shared a life full of countless adventures and enjoyed travelling abroad as well as the UK often in their VW Camper.

Roy joined the Navy as an electrical engineer in 1939 and was posted on the Destroyer HMS Walker – the ship that sunk the German Sub U99 with the infamous Commander Otto Kretschmer on board. The Walker crew battled to save the drowning Germans and rescued all but three, before taking them to Liverpool Docks as POW.

Roy then transferred to Submarines to prevent German Battleships from leaving the Norwegian Fjords as well as joining a four-man crew on Midget Subs.

In 1983 Roy organised a reunion with members of both the U99 and Walker crews and was thanked by Otto Kretschmer for rescuing them in 1941.

His astonishing bravery was honoured by King George VI at Buckingham Palace where he was awarded several medals including the Distinguished Service Medal.

Over the years Roy donated his time to endless charitable endeavours and with his love of water and the sea following time in the Navy he spent many hours at the helm of Community Canal Boats with the disabled and youth offenders as well as Royal visitors such as Prince Edward and Princess Anne.

At 85 Roy abseiled down the Avon Gorge, to raise money for Macmillan Cancer.

Roy always joked, ‘Jesus will only take me when all of my jobs are done’, his family now believe that all his jobs have now been completed.