SHIPWRIGHT instructor and captain of the Boys Brigade, Charles Alfred Jones, has died at the age of 88.

Born in Rochester, Kent, in September 1927, he won a scholarship to the Chatham Grammar School. After leaving education, he took on an apprenticeship at Chatham Dockyard and one of the ships he worked on was HMS Belfast, which is now moored in London.

Charles then went on to train as a shipwright instructor where he stayed until he took early retirement due to the closure of the dockyard in 1984.

He took part in all of the Navy days held at the dockyard and took great pride in showing off the work that his apprentices had achieved.

One of his proudest moments was when one of his students won plate fitter of the year. Charles was also Captain of the 1 Chatham Boys Brigade and attended many camps and events with his battalion.

In 1951, Charles married his beloved wife, Pem and together they had three children. After retiring, the couple moved down to Bournemouth and then Christchurch, where Charles loved gardening closely supervised by wife, Pem, but it was their love of cruises that they enjoyed the most. Charles is described as somebody who always liked being around water despite the fact that he couldn't swim.

He also loved his brass and military band music and would regularly attend Royal Marine concerts both locally and further afield.

The couple enjoyed 62 happy years of marriage before Pem's death in 2012. Charles died on February 29 and he is survived by his three children and five grandchildren.

His coffin will be carried on a gun carriage pulled by four horses, despite Charles having no military connection himself, which takes place this morning.