Tributes paid to Somerby stalwart after her sad passing aged 88

Davina grew up at the family home in her father’s bakery shop and she had clear memories of paratroopers with the iconic 10th Battalion queuing to be served in the weeks before they parachuted into the Battle of Arnhem in 1944.

Nearly 100 of them were killed in the mission and many taken prisoner and Davina was keen to highlight the sacrifices they made to future generations.

She was a committed supporter of the Friends of the Tenth (FoTT) charity and helped them establish the stunning memorial to the Battalion at nearby Burrough on the Hill.

It was the FoTT who this morning (Wednesday) announced the passing of Davina ‘with great sadness’, just under two months after she lost beloved husband of 65 years, Michael, who was 90.

In their statement, FoTT said: “Davina was our Somerby stalwart - the very first to step forward and support Friends of The Tenth in 2016, when the idea of a Memorial to the Battalion was first brought before Somerby Parish Council.

“As one of the few remaining villagers who remembered the ‘Paras’ in Somerby during 1944, Davina was a living link to the past.

“She often shared her childhood memories with humour and warmth – from watching young soldiers queue at her father’s bakery for cakes and pastries, to delighting Somerby schoolchildren in recent years with stories of wartime village life, including her famous tale of trying to eat her first banana (skin and all!).

“Together with Michael, Davina gave so much of herself to FoTT.”

Davina Bates, who was born in August 1937, attended Somerby Primary School during the war and she delighted in recounting her stories of wartime life in the village to modern pupils of both Somerby and Burrough Primary Schools.

Among the other local projects Davina got involved in was the Somerby Parish Council Community Hub.

She loved the village and championed many fundraising initiatives over the years.

The FoTT said: “She tirelessly handed out our Tenth Battalion Trail guides, spread our story far and wide, and welcomed veterans and their families back to the village with open arms.

“Both she and Michael were wonderfully generous - not just with donations and gifts (like the Stilton cheese and Melton pork pies they always brought to our gatherings) - but above all with their time, their energy, and their friendship.

“Davina often said her greatest wish was that Somerby would always welcome the ‘Paras’ and their families, just as it had during those nine months in 1944 before Arnhem.

“Long before our charity even began, through her love, kindness, and dedication, she helped keep that spirit of welcome alive.

“Now reunited with her beloved Michael, may you rest in peace, Davina – a truly lovely lady who meant so much to us all.”

The charity is inviting people to send cards and letters of thanks and condolence in memory of Davina.

Please post them to: Friends of The Tenth, Hemploe View, The Belt, South Kilworth, Leicestershire, LE17 6DX.