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A former Teesside mayor who survived one of the world's worst maritime disasters has died at the age of 85.
Jack Dyball was among thousands of troops crammed on the liner Lancastria when it sank after coming under German fire off St Nazaire, France, on June 17, 1940.
Thousands of lives were lost but after several hours in the water, Jack was picked up by a rescue boat.
After the war, Kent-born Jack and wife Babs moved to Middlesbrough where, after a spell in the police force, he opened fish and chip shops in Grove Hill and St Hilda's.
He was elected to Middlesbrough Council in 1960 as a Grove Hill member.
After moving to Redcar in 1963, he served on Redcar Council, became a Cleveland County councillor and, in 1976, became the first Conservative Mayor of the then Langbaurgh Council. He stepped down from local politics in 1995 after 35 years of continuous service.
Before retiring this year aged 87, former Redcar and Cleveland Labour councillor Ivy Cole cited him as one of the councillors she had admired most over the years.
She said: "He was very conscientious and made some wonderful contributions."
Husband to the late Babs for more than 50 years, dad to Grahame, Jane and the late Anthony, and a grandad and greatgrandad, Mr Dyball's funeral will be at Teesside Crematorium on Thursday at 11.30am.
Leader of the Conservative group on Redcar and Cleveland Council, Cllr Vera Moody, said: "He gave wonderful service to the people."
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