TRIBUTES have been paid to an unassuming war hero, who fought in two of the bloodiest battles of the Second World War, and has died at the age of 93.

William Ernest Bowman died last month at his home in Bishopton, between Stockton and Darlington.

As a sapper in the Royal Engineers, he was shipped off to Burma as the war rumbled into its final few months.

He lived through infamous battles at Kohima and Imphal – clashes which resulted in the deaths of almost 80,000 men of the Allied and British armies.

Mr Bowman's brother-in-law, Michael Tate said: "Those were the two battles that stopped the Japanese from getting into India and he was involved in them.

"I could not tell you what he saw over there, he never spoke about it, but it was awful.

"He survived the battles, but I don't think they ever left him.

"After the battles, him and two friends were cut off in the jungle for a fortnight before they were finally rescued.

"They became lifelong friends.

"After the war, he was shipped back to England, where he found life very, very difficult.

"He had nightmares for quite a few years.

"It was not just him, there was thousands of men went through the same thing and I think people should know about it.

"He went through hell when he was in Burma, like thousands of others, but he never talked about it."

Mr Bowman never married, having met a girl in India who Mr Tate said he became "very friendly with".

After Mr Bowman left the region, the couple were parted by distance and the fact technological advances enabling people to travel the world with relative ease would not become the norm until decades later.

After the war, Mr Bowman worked as an engineer for Darchem, in Stillington.

Mr Tate has been married to Mr Bowman's sister, Gracie, for 57 years.

Asked for his memories of his brother-in-law, he said: "He was a countryman at heart, he loved following the hunt and was very successful at racing pigeons.

"He loved his garden and kept hens and ducks – he was a typical countryman."

Mr Bowman's funeral will take place at 12.45pm on Tuesday (April 14), at St Peter's Church, in Bishopton.