A SURVIVOR of the longest continuous military campaign of World War Two has died at the age of 87.

Maurice Smithers, who was born in Bournemouth, served on the cruiser HMS Royalist during the Battle of the Atlantic, which was at its height from mid-1940 to the end of 1943.

Convoys of cargo ships carrying raw materials, munitions and men, escorted by Royal Navy ships, were hunted across the Atlantic by ‘wolf packs’ of U-boats.

The battle was pivotal to the success of the Allies but it came at a huge cost, with the loss of 30,000 seamen and the sinking of 2,500 merchant ships.

The Germans lost more than 28,000 submariners and 781 U-boats.

George was among veterans who attended a special service at Christchurch Priory to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the battle.

He told the Daily Echo: “I did two goes at the Tirpitz. We escorted the aircraft carriers to north Norway, to Kaa Fjord, to attack the battleship.”

Maurice died at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital on June 28 after suffering a stroke.

His wife Doreen said: “Maurice joined the Royal Navy in 1942. Before we met, when he was around 23, he had to be taken off HMS Royalist after becoming gravely ill with typhoid fever.

“He was unconscious in hospital for six months and in such a bad way his father received a telegram saying that they had a grave ready for him.

“It’s a shame that Maurice passed away before he received his Arctic Star medal.

“He was a wonderful man and very good to me. I loved him so much.”

Struggling to contain her grief, Doreen added: “We lost our only child Carole to cancer almost three years ago. Maurice never got over it.

“He loved the Boscombe Royal British Legion Club and had been a member for 60 years. Maurice fought to keep it open and was still serving as president when he died. Apart from during his Naval service, he lived in the Bournemouth area all his life and was very well known.”

The couple met in Boscombe and had been married for 61 years.

After the war Maurice worked as a painter and decorator.

Earlier this year the devoted couple had a lucky escape when they were woken by their smoke alarm after a fire broke out in their East Cliff flat.

The much-loved husband, father and grandfather’s funeral service was held at Bournemouth Crematorium on July 9.