Veteran, 102, recalls war stories as he joins comrades at royal garden party
Speaking at the garden party for beneficiaries of The Not Forgotten Association on Friday, Mr Winter remembered seeing his plane's rear gunner with his head 'blown off' after their aircraft was hit on an operation in 1943.
'I did operations in France, Germany and Italy. One trip, we were greeted over Holland by flak and had to shake off a night fighter on our tail,' Mr Winter, who turns 103 next week, told the PA news agency.
'When we reached the target, we were the second wave and as we dropped our bombs, the pilot said we had been hit.
'We couldn't get any answer from our gunners so I went to see what was wrong. When I saw the rear gunner, half his head was blown off.
'I just remember the pilot saying 'bail out, bail out'.'
At the garden party, Mr Winter met the Duchess of Gloucester, who has attended several previous events with The Not Forgotten Association.
The association is a tri-service charity, providing entertainment and leisure for ex-service and still serving personnel who are sick, injured or wounded.
After his Halifax was shot down in 1943, with four crew members killed, Mr Winter was made a prisoner of war in Bankau, a part of modern day Poland, but then German-controlled territory.
'After we landed, we were captured and were made prisoners of war. We were taken to a prison camp and put in huts about 10ft long and 8ft high, with six of us in each.'
Mr Winter went on to describe being forced on a gruelling march through Czechoslovakia towards just south of Berlin because of USSR advances against Nazi Germany in 1945.
But eventually, appearing caught up by difficult memories, he turned to a brighter note, shifting the topic to the 'wonderful' experience of being reunited with fellow veterans during VE Day celebrations earlier this month.
The Duchess of Gloucester met Mr Winter, alongside other veterans, and told the 102-year-old: 'It is so special to see you all together'.
Around 2,000 personnel of all ages and all military services were united at the Buckingham Palace garden party.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Live
9 hours ago
- North Wales Live
Passengers sent 'final texts' as flames came out of Boeing jet engine over Greek holiday island
Shocked holidaymakers have described the horror moment flames came out a plane engine moments after take-off. About 300 people on board a Condor Airlines Boeing 757-300 were left reeling on Saturday night when the plane's right engine started emitting large flames and smoke shortly after leaving Corfu in Greece. Video footage showed a spluttering fire visible from the ground. Passengers have since revealed how they began sending "final messages" to their loved ones as smoke rose in front of their windows, fearing they were about to crash. Their plane did a dramatic U-turn before it made an emergency landing in Brindisi, Italy, flight tracking information shows. But those on board faced more misery upon landing when they discovered there was not enough capacity at hotels around the airport, meaning some were forced to sleep on the floor of the terminal. The North Wales Live Whatsapp community for top stories and breaking news is live now - here's how to sign up One passenger told German newspaper Bild: "I sent goodbye messages thinking it was over. It was a horrible experience. "Suddenly, we heard a loud noise, then flames shot out of the engine. It was very scary." And another described hearing a "loud clicking noise". The fire is believed to have been caused by a bird strike. Condor Airlines, who operated the flight, have said that there was no risk to passengers during the incident. The German airline also denied that an engine explosion had taken place, saying that the fire resulted from a "disturbance in air flow" to the jet, which caused a normal reaction in the combustion chamber to become more visible. A Condor spokesperson told the Mirror: "Flight DE3665 from Corfu (CFU) to Dusseldorf (DUS) diverted to Brindisi (BDS) on 16 August 2025. The reason was a parameter indication outside the normal range caused by a disturbance in the air flow supply to the engine. "Due to the fault message, it was precautionarily decided to divert to Brindisi. This posed no danger to the guests or crew members at any time. "The aircraft landed around 8:15 p.m. at Brindisi Airport, and all 273 guests as well as the eight crew members disembarked the aircraft normally. Another Condor aircraft was dispatched to carry all guests to Dusseldorf on August 17th, 2025." The spokesperson added: "Unfortunately, there was insufficient hotel capacity in Brindisi, meaning that not all guests could be accommodated in hotels. Additional vouchers and blankets were organised at the airport, and a few shops were allowed to remain open to provide supplies. "Passengers who took advantage of alternative accommodation options can submit their expenses for reimbursement. We apologise for any inconvenience caused, but the safety of our passengers and employees is always our top priority.'
Rhyl Journal
21 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
D-Day veteran celebrates 100th birthday at regimental museum
Jim Glennie turned 100 on Tuesday and a number of his family and friends gathered at The Gordon Highlanders Museum where he volunteers. Mr Glennie met the King earlier this year when he toured the Aberdeen museum, with Charles praising him as a 'great example to us all'. As an 18-year-old private, he was part of the invasion force which landed at Sword Beach on D-Day. He was later wounded in action and taken prisoner, spending the remainder of the war in Stalag IV-B. He and other soldiers made their own way back to Allied lines when their German guards deserted them as the Russians approached from the east. When Mr Glennie returned to Turriff in Aberdeenshire after the war, he became a welder. France has awarded him the Legion d'Honneur and earlier this year he was awarded the British Empire Medal in the King's Honours list. Friends and family gathered at the museum on Tuesday to celebrate, singing 'happy birthday' to the veteran. He was formally presented with his British Empire Medal by Aberdeen's Lord-Lieutenant, who is also the city's Lord Provost, David Cameron. The former soldier had earlier received his message from the King. John McLeish, chief executive of the The Gordon Highlanders Museum, said Mr Glennie was in good spirits. He told the PA news agency: 'Jim Glennie has volunteered at The Gordon Highlanders Museum for over 30 years. 'His military service is well documented but less well-known is the commitment and enthusiasm he brings to his volunteer role every Tuesday, week in week out. 'He is an important member of our team and, at the age of 100, his personality and generosity of spirit add to the wonderful camaraderie exhibited by team members. 'Watching Jim engaging with museum visitors is a sight to behold. He makes a regular museum visit very special indeed and, ultimately, he makes people smile! 'There were lots of smiles at the Museum today as we celebrated Jim's 100th birthday.' Charles toured the regimental museum in January, and upon seeing the King, Mr Glennie greeted him cheerfully and said 'long time no see!' The King told him about a portrait of Mr Glennie he had been shown at the museum, saying 'it looked terrific' and promising to send him a message when he turns 100 in August. The King said: 'You're a great example to us all, if I may say so, you really are.'
Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
Boeing bursts into flames on take-off as passengers send 'final texts'
Boeing bursts into flames on take-off as passengers send 'final texts' A Boeing 757-300 operated by Condor Airlines was forced to make an emergency landing in Italy after its right engine caught fire shortly after taking off from Corfu in Greece Visuals from the scene show the plane's wing engulfed in fire while in the air (Image: X) Shocked holidaymakers have recounted the terrifying moment a jet engine burst into flames just moments after take off. It comes as memory of the fatal Air India- Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash is still painfully fresh in many minds. Approximately 300 passengers aboard a Condor Airlines Boeing 757-300 were left horrified on Saturday night when the aircraft's right engine began spewing massive flames and smoke shortly after departing Corfu in Greece, with video footage showing a spluttering blaze visible from the ground. Travellers on the flight from Greece have since disclosed how they started sending 'final messages' to their loved ones as smoke billowed past their windows, believing they were about to plummet. Flight tracking data reveals the aircraft performing a dramatic U-turn before executing an emergency landing in Brindisi, Italy. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Those aboard endured further ordeal upon touchdown when they learnt there was insufficient hotel capacity near the airport, forcing some to sleep on the terminal floor, reports the Mirror. Describing her ordeal, one passenger told German newspaper Bild: "I sent goodbye messages thinking it was over. It was a horrible experience. Article continues below "Suddenly, we heard a loud noise, then flames shot out of the engine. It was very scary." Another recounted hearing a "loud clicking noise". The blaze is thought to have resulted from a bird strike. Condor Airlines, which operated the service, has stated that passengers faced no danger during the incident. The German airline Condor has refuted claims of an engine explosion, attributing the fire to a "disturbance in air flow" that made a normal combustion chamber reaction more visible. A spokesperson for Condor told the Mirror: "Flight DE3665 from Corfu (CFU) to Dusseldorf (DUS) diverted to Brindisi (BDS) on 16 August 2025. "The reason was a parameter indication outside the normal range caused by a disturbance in the air flow supply to the engine. Due to the fault message, it was precautionarily decided to divert to Brindisi. "This posed no danger to the guests or crew members at any time. The aircraft landed around 8:15 p.m. at Brindisi Airport, and all 273 guests as well as the eight crew members disembarked the aircraft normally. Another Condor aircraft was dispatched to carry all guests to Dusseldorf on August 17th, 2025. "Unfortunately, there was insufficient hotel capacity in Brindisi, meaning that not all guests could be accommodated in hotels. Additional vouchers and blankets were organised at the airport, and a few shops were allowed to remain open to provide supplies. Passengers who took advantage of alternative accommodation options can submit their expenses for reimbursement. "We apologise for any inconvenience caused, but the safety of our passengers and employees is always our top priority." Article continues below
