DEVOTED husband, AFC Bournemouth supporter and lifelong pigeon fancier Oliver Stanley Richmond has died aged 82.

Born in Wimborne in February 13, 1933, at Gaunt's Common in Wimborne as the eldest of three children, with his first sister, Daphne, arriving two years later, and his second sister, Shirley, arriving when he was 10.

He studied at Wimborne Grammar School and left education aspiring to be a hairdresser. However under his dad's influence, who worked for Bournemouth Electric Light Company, Oliver trained as an apprentice electrician.

He was then called up for national service in 1954 with the RAF, after marrying his wife, Maureen, at Blandford Registry Office, on New Year's Eve in 1952. He did a year's training in Melksham in Wiltshire leading to him becoming an aircraft engineer.

Mr Richmond was then stationed at RAF Mawgan near Newquay in Cornwall. He was a winchman with the 22nd Squadron RAF Air Sea Rescue, now known as RAF Search and Rescue. In 1957 he was sent to Christmas Island, where he witnessed the first use of a thermonuclear bomb explosion on November 8, 1957. He was part of 82 missions in the RAF, of which he told his son that 67 were successful.

He left the RAF in 1959 and continued working until taking an early retirement to look after his wife, who had Multiple Sclerosis, full-time before she died in 1992. He had previously balanced this while working full time and looking after their children, Lynn, Gail and Martyn.

Mr Richmond was a champion pigeon fancier, holding the roles of secretary and president at various clubs including founding Wimborne Pigeon Racing Club and being part of Rossmore Racing Pigeon Club, the National Flying Club and CFCFS.

He was also a huge fan of AFC Bournemouth football club and would cycle to their games before becoming the carer of his beloved wife, Maureen, at which time he switched to listening to the match on the radio.

His funeral service was held at Wimborne Methodist Church on Friday, October 23 with donations going to the Royal Air Force Association.