Werner von Trapp, who died on 11 October, 2007, was better known to millions as Kurt, the character based on him in The Sound of Music.

The perennial Rodgers and Hammerstein classic was loosely based on the memoirs of his stepmother, Maria, who harnessed the Austrian family’s singing talents.

Werner sang tenor in the Trapp Family Singers who found worldwide fame in the 1930s and were then immortalised on stage and screen.

He was born on 21 December, 1915, to Navy Commander Captain George von Trapp and his wife Agathe. He was the fourth of seven children and the second eldest son.

His mother died when he was seven and in 1927 his father married the children’s governess, Maria Kutschera, a former nun.

Maria taught the children to sing Mozart and Bach, as well as traditional Austrian songs and church music.

They became renowned in Europe after their debut in 1935, but were forced to flee Austria in 1938 after Capt von Trapp declined an invitation to appear at Adolf Hitler’s birthday party and refused to serve with German armed forces.

They emigrated to New York and became a stage hit, with their Lederhosen outfits adding an element of novelty for American audiences. They would tour up to eight months at a time under the guidance and drive of Maria.

The family eventually settled at a farm in Vermont where they would later open a holiday resort.

Werner von Trapp served in Italy with the United States Army during the war, then returned to America to continue touring with the family choir.

After the troupe retired in 1950, Mr von Trapp founded a music school in Pennsylvania. As well as being a singer, Mr von Trapp was proficient with the cello and other instruments.

Unfortunately for the von Trapps, Maria had modestly sold her book, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers (1949), without any royalty clauses so when it was adapted for the stage 10 years later they didn’t profit to a great extent. They had left much of their original wealth behind when they fled Austria.

In later years Mr von Trapp brought his own family to live in Vermont, where he ran a dairy farm. Four of his grandchildren revived the Trapp Family Singers name and recently began touring.

He was survived by his wife, Erika, six children and four of his musical siblings.