The colours of 13 Royal British Legion standards and the sound of bagpipes led a parade at the funeral of former Women's Section national chairman May Arnold.

More than 100 mourners gathered to pay their respects at St Martin's Church, in Overstrand, where two of her sons read tributes to their mother who died on January 4, aged 88.

The standards were lowered as Legion stalwart Mrs Arnold was carried to her final resting place.

Current national Women's Section chairman Wendy Bromwich read the Legion prayer and exultation.

Mrs Arnold was the first Scot to become national chairman of the Women's Section, and was made an OBE in 1998 for her services to the Legion.

She was born in Culross, in Fife, on April 21, 1925, the daughter of William and Isabella Henderson. During the Second World War she enlisted in the Woman's Royal Airforce, where she trained as a wireless operator.

Mrs Arnold moved to Norfolk in 1947 and lived in Overstrand before spending her final days in the Legion's Halsey House home at Cromer. She was an active member of Cromer's St Joseph's Church choir.

Her son, Ian, told the service: 'Everything she did she put her all into. If she had an ambition, she took it on and saw it through to the end.'

Other tributes highlighted the community work of Mrs Arnold, who was a parish councillor for 12 years, and how she overcame challenges in her life.

She had three sons and seven grandchildren.

Do you have fond memories of Mrs Arnold? Write to EDPLetters@archant.co.uk.