THE funeral of an ashbourne man who served in the Royal Navy and went on to have a successful career in the brewing industry is due to take place next week.
Keith Hornby Priestnall, who died on Saturday, February 16, lived just outside Ashbourne for the last few years of his life but had joined the Royal Navy in 1943 at the age of 17 and worked at the heart of Burton-on-Trent’s brewing history for more than 60 years.
After singing up for ‘hazardous duties’ aboard HMS Dauntless he trained as a submariner in X-craft submarines, which were tasked with carrying out dangerous duties laying explosive charges under the hulls of moored warships.
The son of a vicar from Stapenhill, Lieutenant-Commander Hornby Priestnall also became an after dinner speaker and briefly flirted with a career as a stand up comic, appearing on television programmes and he was once a participant in a programme concerning Ian Fraser VC.
He has also given support to a host of voluntary organisations over the years and was a guide at Tissington Hall.
His funeral is due to take place at St Mowden’s Parish Church in Market Place, Burton on Wednesday, March 27 at 12.30pm.
