ONE of Skipton's last remaining heroes of the Second World War has died at the age of 94.

Jim Coglan, of North Parade, fought in many of the major campaigns of the war and was one of the minority of soldiers to be in it from start to finish. He was awarded the Military Medal, presented to him at Buckingham Palace by King George VI, for saving the life of a fellow soldier during the heat of battle and was also wounded by shrapnel from a German mortar - much of which stayed in his back for the rest of his life.

Jim was born in Bishop Auckland, Co Durham, and joined the Territorial Army after leaving school. This meant he was among the first non-regular troops to be called up when war started in September 1939 as part of the Durham Light Infantry.

Immediately after the war ended in 1945, Jim found himself stationed in Skipton, where he was a driver moving around troops soon to be demobbed, and met Monica, who was born and bred in the town.

The couple married in Bishop Auckland, where Jim worked briefly as a chauffeur, before moving to Skipton.

The couple had four children, Diane, Susan, Marcia and Neal. Sadly, Monica died in 1972.

Jim worked as a wagon driver for builders B B Kirk, and stayed with the firm until retiring at the age of 62. He then worked part-time in maintenance at a tannery in Embsay. In 1977 he married his second wife Betty and the couple lived in Bishop Auckland for several years before returning to Skipton five years ago to be near family. They had 10 children between them.

During the war Jim fought in some of what were to become the most famous British campaigns. He was among more than 300,000 troops evacuated from Dunkirk, was part of the ill-fated Arnhem operation, was at El Alamein, Monte Cassino in Italy, and later landed in Normandy on D-Day as the Allies started the invasion that would eventually lead to the end of the conflict.

His daughter Marcia said: "He went through so much in the war but I never knew him have a day's illness before he had to go into Craven Nursing Home in February - not even a cold.

"He loved his allotment and a pint with his mates in Skipton Working Men's Club - he always liked be around family and friends."

He leaves wife Betty, his four children, nine grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

The funeral will be at Skipton Crematorium at 1pm next Wednesday, May 13.