
Derbyshire veteran Donald Rose has died at care home aged 110
Donald Rose, from Ilkeston in Derbyshire, served with the Desert Rats in North Africa before going on to fight across Europe.
He was born in 1914 and served on the front line with the 7th Armoured Division.
After surviving a bullet to the leg during the Normandy landings Mr Rose went on to become the nation's oldest forces veteran.
The Canal Vue Care Home, where the veteran was residing, has confirmed that he passed away on Friday (11 July).
Erewash council leader, James Dawson, led tributes to Mr Rose following the announcement of his death.
As the borough prepared to fly its flags at half-mast to mark the old soldier's passing, Cllr Dawson said: 'Our condolences go out to Donald's family and all who knew him."
'Erewash was privileged to count him as a resident.'
In May the town hall sent a delegation to the Canal Vue Care Home to Mr Rose with its highest honour – the Freedom of the Borough.
Donald would have celebrated his one hundred and eleventh birthday on Christmas Eve and he partly put his longevity down to the salty water he had to drink while serving as a Desert Rat.
He also joked that Maltesers chocolate and the 'odd tot of rum' may also have played a part.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Gardening pro's 3 key jobs to do this weekend to stop rose black spot – including £3 bloom boost
WE love a rose in the UK - and traditionally our gardens are stuffed full of beautiful blooms that have been bred for thousands of years. But how frustrating is it when you spot the rose leaves going yellow and starting to fall - or the beautiful buds refuse to open and shrivel up instead? 3 3 Black spot is the nemesis of all rose-growers - a fungal disease that first appears as black spots on the roses' leaves. Then the leaf will start to yellow - and fall off - usually spreading further down the plant. And although it doesn't kill the rose - it can weaken it - making it susceptible to other pests and diseases. Spores can overwinter on fallen leaves - and then infects the soil and then the plant next year. Fight against it by making sure that all the fallen leaves are thrown away - not put on the compost. And make sure the rose is pruned to allow enough air to move through the branches. Although proper hard rose pruning is generally done in late winter or early Spring - a light prune now won't be a problem. Also - mulching over winter can help. And make sure you're watering the base rather than from the top of the leaves. Give your rose a dose of proper liquid rose feed - Westland do a decent high performance liquid plant food which helps build resistance to disease. You can get it at Tesco for £8.99. Or Temu is selling Doff Rose and Shrub Feed for £2.89 - which helps maintain healthy roses. Finally - try and choose roses that are resistant to blackspot. Everyone can spot the pot plants - but you have 20-20 vision & high IQ if you can find five red roses in just 19 seconds The general advice with roses is not to plant them in the same soil that a previous rose was in. It can - in extreme cases - cause replant disease - which is where the rose will struggle to grow. You may even find it dies. It's because the roots won't establish properly. But the RHS recommends that you line the planting hole with a cardboard box with a hole in the bottom. By the time the cardboard box has rotted into the soil, the roots will have established. But if you're fed up of black spot, powdery mildew and rose rosette diseases - then have you considered growing a wild rose instead? They might not be quite as extravagant and blingy as the cultivated varieties - but wild roses - known as 'Species Roses' in the catalogues - do a very good job of growing without any human intervention at all. In fact - they're the roses that all our bred roses originated from - and almost thrive on neglect. Charles Shi is in charge of the Wild Rose Garden at Kew - designed originally by Capability Brown in 1900. As part of it's restoration, he and his team travelled as far afield as China and Vietnam to bring back roses that are so new, they haven't been named yet. He told me: 'One of the great things is whilst they flower for a short amount of time - wild roses make up for that by being very resistant to disease. 'Even if they get smothered in aphids they're absolutely fine. 'They're also more hardy. And the early flowers are followed by hips if they're not deadheaded, which feed the birds over Winter. 'It's so important to conserve them - as they could have medicinal compounds that could cure cancer - we're discovering up to 100 compounds every year in our research - which are being used in medical trials. 'They also play a crucial role in ecological conservation by providing food and habitat for pollinators and wildlife.' Some of Charles' favourites include... Rosa Soulieana - which he's nicknamed The Sleeping Beauty Rose - as it's like the one in the book that surrounds the castle. Smells of Cinnamon and up to 4m high. Rosa hirtula - from the Hakone, Japan, at the foothills of Mt Fuji - The only rose with a tree-like habit, with beautiful spiky hips Rosa x odorata 'Mutabilis' A bushy shrub, about 1.8m in height, with purplish young foliage and almost thornless stems Rosa laevigata - has dinner-plate sized flowers.


Daily Record
3 days ago
- Daily Record
Ayrshire war hero awarded Provost's Medal at 107 years old
Harry Richardson, a bomber pilot during the Second World War, was presented with the Provost's Medal by Iain Campbell, Provost of South Ayrshire. An Ayrshire war hero has been presented with the Provost's Medal at the age of 107 - some 80 years after taking to the skies during the Second World War. Harry Richardson was a bomber pilot during the war and earned a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his bravery and his airmanship during his service. Provost Iain Campbell presented the medal to Harry in a ceremony in County Buildings, Ayr. The Provost's Medal recognises national or international achievement at the highest level for people who were born in or are residents of South Ayrshire. In the last 13 years, the medal has only been awarded on one other occasion. Local hero Harry, who was a bomber pilot during World War 2 serving from 1939 to 1947, celebrated his 107th birthday in Prestwick in February. During his RAF career, Harry was posted to 149 Squadron. Upon completion of this tour, he transferred to training bomber pilots. Harry then moved to India and the Far East with 159 Squadron. At the end of the war, he assisted with the repatriation of Prisoners of War. Harry then joined the National Air Traffic Service as an Air Traffic Controller, where he successfully climbed through the ranks, assisting in the planning of the Air Traffic Service over the Atlantic. Earlier this year, he was honoured during the 80th anniversary of VE Day and was present at the VE Day 80 concert at Horse Guards Parade in London, sitting next to King Charles III and Queen Camilla. In addition to the Provost's Medal, Harry was also given the Lord Lieutenant Award. This award was presented to him by Lord Lieutenant Iona McDonald. The civic ceremony was attended by Harry Richardson DFC and his family, alongside Alex Lobban, Chair of the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) Club Ayr & Prestwick Branch; and Sqn Ldr James Martin 602 (City of Glasgow) Sqn RAuxAF. Speaking humbly after the presentation, Harry said: 'Thank you very much for this award which I shall treasure for the rest of my life.' Provost Campbell said: 'The Provost's Medal is a significant and rare honour, reserved for only the greatest of achievements. I'm delighted to be able to bestow this honour upon Harry Richardson. 'Harry's dedication to his country is already well-known. The Distinguished Flying Cross is just one of the accolades he has achieved for his admirable bravery during his service. 'It was my absolute pleasure to welcome Harry, his loved ones and esteemed guests to County Buildings to recognise his outstanding achievements.' Lord Lieutenant Iona McDonald said: 'Harry is a remarkable man who along with many others served with distinction during the Second World War. I was delighted to present him with a Lord Lieutenant's certificate marking his contribution to the RAF and aviation.' Alex Lobban, Chair of the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) Club Ayr & Prestwick Branch, said: 'On behalf of Ayr & Prestwick Branch Royal Air Forces Association it was an honour and privilege to be present at the Award Ceremony for our member Harry Richardson DFC. Our appreciation goes to the Lord Lieutenant and Provost for their support of Harry.' Sqn Ldr James Martin 602 (City of Glasgow) Sqn RAuxAF said: 'It was a privilege to attend today's Civic Reception in Ayrshire, on behalf of Air Officer Scotland, in recognition of the extraordinary RAF service of Harry Richardson DFC. Our sincerest congratulations to Harry, on the receipt of the prestigious Award of the Provost Medal and Lord Lieutenant certificate, so richly deserved.'


Evening Standard
5 days ago
- Evening Standard
When is VJ Day 2025 and what is the date about?
The Service of Remembrance will 'honour and remember those who fought and died during the Second World War in the Far East' with more than 400 members of the Armed Forces, the Red Arrows and historic aircraft from The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in attendance.