A decorated war hero from Newbury died because of his exposure to a lethal carcenogenic chemical while fighting in Vietnam, an inquest heard.

Glen Taylor had been stationed at the Phù Cát Air Base between October 1967 and October 1968.

One of his tasks had been to spray harmful herbicide Agent Orange (245T) from his aircraft - which left a deadly legacy.

Glen, 73, from Newbury, passed away from multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer, in 2018 following a 12-year battle.

A hearing into his death on Friday (Sept 6) was told that the US Department of Veterans Affairs had acknowledged that Glen's illness and death were a direct consequence of his exposure.

Berkshire Coroner Heidi Connor concluded: "I'm persuaded that Glen's death was the result of multiple myeloma, likely to have been caused or contributed to by exposure to Agent Orange while working for the US Air Force.

"He clearly led an interesting life."

Agent Orange was used by United States military forces in the Vietnam War to eliminate forest cover and crops for North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops.

It has been known to cause serious health issues among Vietnamese people and United States servicemen and their families since.

Glen's wife of 33 years, Marian Taylor, told the inquest at Reading Town Hall that Glen was a "wonderful, generous man" who never complained about his illness.

She added that he did not like to dwell on his wartime experience - despite receiving medals and commendations for meritorious conduct.

The pair had met while Glen was stationed at the air base in Greenham Common, Berkshire, and then moved around to his various postings.

They moved back to the UK in 2009, but by then Glen was suffering from the illness that would eventually claim his life.

He retired from the United States Air Force at RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in 2015, having attained the rank of Senior Master Sergeant.

His family said in a statement: "Glen was a well-respected man, with strong morals on how to live life in a way that respected those around him.

"He worked hard, but also liked to kick-back in his spare time, by barbecuing for family and friends, or watching his beloved Los Angeles Raiders play American Football."