A DECORATED former Royal Marine with links to Chudleigh Knighton was among those invited to Her Majesty The Queen’s funeral.

Speaking on the funeral service, Dominic Troulan said: ‘It’s hard to explain how moving it was. The dignity of everyone attending from all cultures and religions. It was interesting how people mixed in but were hugely respectful. I’ve never sung so loudly in my life.’

Mr Troulan, who served in the armed forces for 30 years, was awarded the George Cross for his civilian role in rescuing people during an armed raid on a shopping centre in Kenya.

At the time, Mr Troulan was working as a security consultant, and managed to bring people to safety from the mall in Nairobi when it was targeted by armed terrorists, going into the location 12 times, armed only with a pistol.

Residents in Chudleigh Knighton have spoken of recalling his family living in the village when he was young.

One Chudleigh Knighton local said he remembered they both had off-road bikes while another recalled the family once owned a business in the village. They said: ‘He is a totally decent man.

‘The saying an Officer and a Gentleman comes to mind.’

Another said she remembered he was at a party at a local pub before he headed off to Lympstone where he trained as a Royal Marine.

As a marine, he fought in the Falklands War and later served in Northern Ireland.

While a sergeant in the Marines, he was awarded the Queen’s Gallantry Medal for his services in 1993. He was then the first civilian to be awarded the George Cross in 40 years after his actions in Kenya in 2017.

Mr Troulan said: ‘I only wear it (George Cross) for the length of my life and I only wear it on behalf of the victims of terrorism, both in Kenya and around the world.’

Since retiring from the military, he worked in risk management and as an inspirational speaker.