THE funeral of a soldier and father-to-be from Rednal who died in a car crash this month was due to be held yesterday.

Relatives from all over the country and fellow soldiers are expected to attend the military service for Private Ross McComb at St Chad's Cathedral, in Birmingham.

Ross, who was awarded a medal for his service in Kosovo, crashed his Peugeot 306 into a tree in Germany and died after a six-day fight for life.

His fiancee, Joanne Leyland, a lance corporal at the same Army base, near Dusseldorf, is expecting his child in August.

She intends to name the baby boy Ross Andrew after his father.

Ross's mother, Veronica, from Himley Grove, caught the next flight out to Germany when she heard about the smash.

She and Joanne kept a vigil by his bedside for six days but he succumbed to his severe head injuries on Friday April 6.

Veronica told the Advertiser: "He was kind, caring and loving. He touched a lot of people's lives.

"Ross had wanted to be a soldier since he was seven, he wanted to get a medal.

"He served a year in Kosovo and was awarded one then.

"He wanted a military funeral, they used to talk about it in Kosovo."