ONE of the country's first Second World War widows has died peacefully in her sleep at a North-East nursing home.

The funeral of Doris Sinclair, who died at Haughton Village Nursing Home in Darlington after suffering from bronchial pneumonia, will take place tomorrow.

The story of Mrs Sinclair and her first husband, Sergeant William "Bill" Brown, made the national news when he died in the first few days of the Second World War. It brought the horror of war home to the North-East as Sgt Brown became one of the first casualties.

Sgt Brown, who came from Shildon, County Durham, died when his aircraft was shot down over Hanover, in Germany. He hadn't even fired a shot and his plane had been dropping propaganda leaflets on the enemy.

His death was even more poignant as he had only married his beloved Doris on Monday, September 25, 1939, - the week before he died.

It left Mrs Sinclair, who was born in 1921, a widow aged only 17. Her husband's body was recovered from the wreckage of his aircraft and buried in Hanover.

At the time, she could not afford to visit his grave, and in her later years she was too ill to travel. She told The Northern Echo in 1998: "That doesn't mean I have forgotten. Bill will always be with me in my heart."

Mrs Sinclair was married again to Albert Mason and latterly Donald Sinclair. She worked at Henry Williams, in Albert Hill, for 25 years making heavy plates for the railways.

She had two children, Brenda and Graeme and she leaves grandchildren Kay, Julie, Samantha, and Mark and great-grandchildren Jack and Tom. Her funeral will take place at St Matthew and St Luke's Church in Brinkburn Road, Darlington, at 11am tomorrow.