Douglas Coxell obituary

My grandfather Douglas Coxell, who died at the age of 100, spent most of his life as a pilot, first in the second world war and then for a civilian airline in the Channel Islands, where he retired at 65. He continued to fly as a training captain for the Channel Islands Air Search service until the age of 86 when he could no longer find a company that would cover him.

Doug's parents were an officer in the first world war and a railway clerk. After leaving school at 14, Doug worked at the London Brick Company and then joined the Royal Air Force in 1942.

After gaining his wings, he was assigned to Fighter Command, then 38 Group, which became part of the newly formed Transport Command. The squadron moved to the New Forest in 1944 to begin training for D-day.

Doug was one of the first pilots to drop paratroopers over Normandy at the start of D-day operations.

Night flights to drop supplies and occasionally agents to the resistance in France, the Netherlands and Norway were done using rivers and lakes. There were a number of close calls. Doug and crew also towed gliders in air operations over the Rhine. During the liberation of Norway, all of the people involved remained lifelong friends.

The lure of flying was too great for Doug to return to the police force. He was commissioned back into the RAF to train pilots on jets after joining the Volunteer Reserve. He joined Aurigny Air Services in the Channel Islands, where he was inspired to create the character of G-Joey, the pilot of a little plane, in a series of six children's books.

He continued to fly as a training captain for the Channel Islands Air Search after retiring. He was honoured by the French and Norwegian governments.

Doug was a sailor in the Channel Islands and northern France. He kept a tot of whisky and 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 He had a good sense of humor.

He married Margaret Wright a month after D-day. He married Jan White after their divorce. She has two daughters from his first marriage and a stepson and stepdaughter from his second marriage.