A local hero and war veteran who lived in Weymouth sadly passed away on December 6, at the age of 97.

Bill Roper was born in Abbotsbury in 1921 and joined the Royal Navy at the age of 16, two years before the outbreak of World War Two.

On his twentieth birthday he helped capture an Enigma machine and code book from German U-boat U110, which played a vital part in allowing British intelligence to crack German codes.

This was in 1941, when Bill was serving as a weapons officer aboard the HMS Broadway.

Last year he spoke to the Echo about this mission, later codenamed Operation Primrose: "In those days, you weren't considered a man until you reached the age of 20.

"So on that day the officer in charge of my mess let me taste my first tot of rum. I've had a few since then, but it's out of the question now, as age has stopped me from enjoying my grog.

“At my age, sometimes there are things you can’t remember but I will never forget this date, as it happened on my birthday, May 9.”

From 1941 he served as a torpedoman aboard the HMS Ledbury, a destroyer in Operation Pedestal, the most heavily attacked convoy in history.

The ship formed part of the Arctic Convoy, which escorted much-needed supplies to the ports of Murmansk and Archangel in Russia, which was blockaded by the Germans between 1941 and 1945.

In 2002 he said of Operation Pedestal: "I get very emotional remembering it all - it is something I never want to experience again, a terrible business.

"We had a very bad passage and so little sleep, but the worst part was the incessant bombing and watching the destroyers and cruisers go down.

"The aircraft carrier Eagle was torpedoed just ahead of us and sank in less than three minutes - we could have been next.

"It was a great pity that we lost so many ships in Operation Pedestal - the convoy started off with 14 merchant ships and just five arrived.

"SS Ohio had been bombed, torpedoed and mined - she was in a very bad state, and we went alongside to flank her, and helped her limp into the harbour where she became the saviour for Malta.

"Without her cargo, the island would not have survived - and our reception at Grand Harbour was incredible."

In 2013 Mr Roper was awarded the Bomber Command Clasp and the Arctic Star medal.

Mr Roper said at the time: “I am very pleased to have the Arctic Star. It was a terrible campaign and it was not recognised by the British Government for so long.

Bill left the Royal Navy in 1954 and joined the Post Office, working in Scotland and London before taking early retirement and moving back to his beloved Dorset.

His son Dan followed him into the Navy, serving 26 years. He said: “What can you say about someone who has done so much? Not only was he a great father but he did so much during the war.

“He was an absolute gentleman and very sociable, he was beloved at the RAFA Club in Weymouth where he had so many friends.

“He was a great, great man and he will be sorely missed by many.”

Mr Roper has given details of his father’s cremation service so that anyone who knew Bill and would like to pay their respects can.

The service will be held at 2.30pm on January 18 at the Weymouth Crematorium.