A RUGBY league star and army veteran who guarded one of the most notorious Nazi leaders has died at the age of 80.

Richard 'Dick' Gemmell, who was born in Whitecross and went on to play for and manage Great Britain, died on Sunday, June 18, having been suffering from dementia.

Born on October 6 1936, and growing up on Cartwright Street as the oldest of six siblings, Dick was conscripted to national service upon leaving school and joined the army.

During the course of his military service, he guarded Adolf Hitler's notorious Nazi deputy Rudolf Hess at Spandau Prison in Germany.

Dick played rugby league during his service in the army and was later spotted by a coach from Hull FC when taking to the field for Orford Tannery.

The centre would go on to make 152 appearances for the club, the highlight of which came when he lifted the Yorkshire Cup as captain in 1969 after leading the team to victory over Featherstone Rovers at Headingley Stadium.

He would later be honoured as a member of the black and whites' Hall of Fame.

Also playing for Leeds in between his two spells at the Airlie Birds in the 1960s, Dick represented Lancashire and Great Britain and worked as a pub landlord alongside his rugby league career.

After his playing career finished, Dick managed the Great Britain team on trips to Australia in 1979 and 1984.

The dad, grandad and great-grandad's funeral took place in Humberside, where Dick had continued to live following his retirement from rugby, on Friday, July 7.

Dick's eulogy paid tribute to a centre who 'took the game seriously' and even continued to play in one game despite suffering a broken ankle.

He was described as a 'typical pub landlord' as a 'sociable guy who took no nonsense'.

His family remembered a 'giant of a man with a giant personality' who 'lived life to the full'.

Dick still has family in the Warrington area including his son Tony , who lives with his wife Denise in Orford.