A veteran of the war against Japan who died earlier this month has been praised for his dedication to the community.

Noor Dad, who was 90, died on September 1 following a short illness. He was born in Kashmir and joined the British Indian Army in 1939 at the outbreak of the Second World War.

He was captured by the Japanese in Singapore in 1942 and held as a prisoner of war at the notorious Changi camp.

At the end of the war he was transferred to the Pakistan Army, where he served as a signaller.

He moved to Britain when he was 62 and spent nearly all his time in England living in Keighley. One of his sons, Zulfiqar Ali, said he was extremely involved in the local community and played an active role in helping newcomers to the town to settle in. Mr Ali said: “He would be helpful to anybody and he was very active right until the last few weeks of his life.”

Sangat Centre manager Ghulam Rabani said Mr Dad was a valued member of the Marlborough Street facility and a leading figure in the development of a day centre for the elderly.

He said: “Mr Dad was known for his firm belief in maintaining a disciplined and orderly way of life and he was always keen to instill these beliefs in today’s youngsters.

“There are very few left of his generation who saw and were part of such momentous historical events.

“The words of wisdom and stories of Mr Dad shall be sadly missed and the Sangat Centre will never be the same without this all empowering personality.”

Mr Dad had five sons, two daughters, 21 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

His funeral service was held at the Emily Street Mosque on September 2, and he was buried in Bradford.