Oswald Dixon served in RAF in second world war and died at care home in Salford

This article is more than 11 months old

This article is more than 11 months old

A care home is inviting members of the public to attend the funeral of a second world war veteran from Jamaica with no family in the UK.

Oswald Dixon died on 25 September aged 100 after living his last four years at a home for retired service personnel in Salford, Greater Manchester.

Dixon moved to the charity and nursing home Broughton House in May 2015 because of his deteriorating sight and having been diagnosed with dementia.

His funeral will take place at 2.20pm on Wednesday at Agecroft cemetery and crematorium in Swinton.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Oswald Dixon celebrates his 100th birthday. Photograph: Broughton House

The care home wrote on Facebook: “It is with regret that Oswald has no family members in the UK and his funeral will take place at Agecroft crematorium on Wednesday 9 October at 2.20pm.

“At his 100th birthday celebration Oswald stated that he ‘always tried to live life as it should be lived, by doing things for other people’. His warm character will be missed by everyone involved at Broughton House.”

Dixon was the oldest resident at the nursing home. A number of individuals and groups, including Albion Academy RAF cadets, responded by saying they would attend the funeral to give Dixon an appropriate sendoff.

Regan McGwynn wrote on Facebook: “100 years of great service. You will be the brightest star in the sky. RIP Oswald, it was a pleasure meeting you a few years back.”

Broughton House said the RAF had been contacted to provide a flag for the coffin and several posters on its Facebook page pledged to spread the word among veterans’ groups.

Dixon joined the RAF in Kingston, Jamaica, in November 1944 as a flight mechanic and moved to the UK before the second world war ended.

The aircraft operator, who was born in April 1919 – a year after the RAF was formed – remained in the service to teach new recruits until he retired.

An estimated 10,000 people left their families and homes in Caribbean colonies to join the British armed forces, working behind the scenes and on the frontline to defeat the Nazis. Some later settled in the UK, known as the Windrush generation.

A report last month said the mistakes made by the Home Office over the Windrush scandal were doomed to be repeated unless the department overhauled its systems.