A journalist who once saw Adolf Hitler while on a school trip and later went on to fight the Nazis in the Second World War has died.

Henry West, left, worked for daily titles the South Wales Argus, South Wales Echo and Western Mail during his career and later went on to become chief librarian at the Echo and Mail’s offices in Cardiff.

Henry, who celebrated his 97th birthday last year, retired in 1985, but in 2015 successfully campaigned with the Argus to get the go ahead for the annual remembrance parade in the town of Caerleon.

It had been cancelled because the local branch of the Royal British Legion, of which he was a long-serving member, were told they must pay for public liability insurance for the event and a local businessman eventually came forward to pay the costs.

Henry’s career in journalism began in 1947, after he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

He had enlisted in 1939, three years after encountering Hitler while on a school trip to Cologne.

Friend and former colleague Leslie Davies said: “His group had pulled into Cologne railway station. They got out of the train and saw a crowd on another platform.

“The crowd was gathered round a figure who was already infamous – Adolf Hitler. Henry would later recall: ‘I never did like the look of him.'”

After the war, Henry joined the Monmouthshire Beacon as a trainee reporter before moving to the Newport-based Argus in 1950.

He served as a sub-editor there, before moving to the Cardiff dailies in 1963.

Henry leaves a daughter Angela and son Timothy, as well as grandchildren Kirsty, Jenny, Ben, Rhiannon, Phillip and Andrew. His wife Mary, who he married in 1949, died two years ago and his daughter Jeanette died in 2011.

Henry’s funeral is at 11.30am tomorrow at St Cadoc’s Church, in Caerleon.