Tributes have been paid to a well-known Ipswich businessman who was based alongside the famous Dambusters squadron.
Ken Oatley's family said they were "so fortunate" to have had him for so long as they honoured the great-grandfather of two who has died at the age of 101.
The beloved father-of-two and grandfather-of-five had lived in Ipswich since 1952.
Mr Oatley was born in 1922 and grew up in Frome, where his parents owned the local bakery.
Having learned to play the violin from the age of three, in 1937, aged 15, he was offered a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music but declined and carried on with his schoolwork while helping run the family business.
Mr Oatley served with RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War as a navigator with the 627 Mosquito Squadron based at Woodhall Spa alongside the famous 617 ‘Dambuster’ Lancaster Squadron.
He took part in 21 operations, including the Dresden raid in February 1945.
The squadron has been featured in a book called Mosquito Men, which consists of Mr Oatley’s wartime recollections.
He has also appeared in a German-made wartime documentary, The Drama of Dresden.
For many older Ipswich residents, Mr Oatley was a familiar face throughout the 50s and 60s as the owner of The Oriental Restaurant on Westgate Street.
He also opened a bakery on Frobisher Road and six cake shops, which later became part of the local bakery group ‘Tooks’.
In 1967, he sold the business and became the managing director of 54 Fine Fare Restaurants.
Two years later, he bought a shop in The Walk in Ipswich, and converted it into Marshalls Restaurant.
Later, he added the two Wimpy Bars in Ipswich, a hotel in Leicester, and The Chocolate Box in The Walk, which his wife Irene ran for five years.
In the 1970s, Mr Oatley qualified for the private pilot’s licence.
During his retirement, he maintained a passion for woodworking, restoring, and building classic and replica kit cars.
In a tribute, his family said: “We miss him terribly, but we were so fortunate to have had him with us for so long, and we were able to ask him all the questions about his past life.
“He always managed to surprise us with stories and anecdotes, and you would say- ‘I haven’t heard that one before!’.
Mr Oatley died on September 13, 2023, at the age of 101, following a short illness.
The funeral service for Mr Oatley is to be held at Seven Hills Crematorium on Felixstowe Road in Ipswich, IP10 0FG, on Friday, October 20, at 1.30pm.
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