Latest news with #HenryDucker
Scotsman
30-06-2025
- General
- Scotsman
'All those brave men and women who didn't come home': Local WWII Veteran, 104, Shares Wisdom in Tribute to Fallen Comrades
Henry with the King In honour of Armed Forces Day, a 104-year-old Second World War veteran from Worcestershire and his loved ones are sharing his story, in hopes of keeping the memories of fallen soldiers alive. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Henry Ducker was the oldest veteran in attendance at a local VE Day event organised by Henry's care team Bluebird Care Worcester and Wychavon. The event, held to mark 80 years since the end of World War Two, saw Henry share poignant reflections with the care team and wider community on the realities of war. Henry was just 24 when victory in Europe was declared in 1944. Serving in Italy, he remembered the announcement being made by his commanding officer, immediately followed by an order to return to duty. His daughter, Elaine Lane, explained: 'There were no parties or celebrations; they were still on active service.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It wasn't until February 1946 that Henry finally returned home. He and his sweetheart had written letters to each other throughout the war. Just one week after his return, they married, with Henry still in his uniform, as these were the only clothes he had. The couple made their home in Birmingham, raised two daughters, and worked to help rebuild Britain. Henry (young) Henry shared the honour and emotion of being invited to Buckingham Palace for tea with the King and Queen just last month in honour of VE day; a moving tribute to his service and the memory of those who never came home. The day began on Victoria Island opposite Buckingham Palace, where Henry and fellow veterans were given front-row seats alongside the King, Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and their children, to witness a magnificent military procession. The Prime Minister took the salute on behalf of the nation, followed by a flypast and a stirring performance of 'Land of Hope and Glory' by the Band of the King's Troop. Inside the Palace, a tea party awaited in the Long Hall, adorned with handcrafted bunting made from old household fabrics. The tables were laid with classic favourites – sandwiches, savouries, cakes and strawberries. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It was here that Henry was seated beside Queen Camilla. His daughter shared: Henry at procession 'Dad said she was lovely – gracious and humorous. She thanked him for his six years of service abroad, and they even spoke about her father's time in the war.' Henry also had the chance to speak with the King and the Duchess of Edinburgh, both of whom made time to thank the veterans for their service. 'It was all about those brave men and women who didn't come home,' Elaine added. Although humbled by the Palace invitation, Henry was clear that his presence there was not about personal recognition. 'He said time and again he wanted us to remember the brave men and women who didn't come home,' said his daughter. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Today, Henry is supported by a small team of trusted Care Experts from Bluebird Care Worcester and Wychavon. Andy Toon, Registered Care Manager at Bluebird Care Worcester and Wychavon, commented: 'Our team couldn't wait to hear about Henry's day at the Palace, and his moving stories from his time in service. Henry is an extraordinary man with an extraordinary story. We are so proud to support him and honoured to be a part of his life.' Though Henry rarely speaks of his wartime experiences, his message is a timeless one for everybody, according to his daughter Elaine, who says: 'He doesn't glorify war. He hopes future generations will learn from those dark days – and ensure such conflict never happens again.'
Scotsman
30-06-2025
- General
- Scotsman
'All those brave men and women who didn't come home': Local WWII Veteran, 104, Shares Wisdom in Tribute to Fallen Comrades
Henry with the King In honour of Armed Forces Day, a 104-year-old Second World War veteran from Worcestershire and his loved ones are sharing his story, in hopes of keeping the memories of fallen soldiers alive. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Henry Ducker was the oldest veteran in attendance at a local VE Day event organised by Henry's care team Bluebird Care Worcester and Wychavon. The event, held to mark 80 years since the end of World War Two, saw Henry share poignant reflections with the care team and wider community on the realities of war. Henry was just 24 when victory in Europe was declared in 1944. Serving in Italy, he remembered the announcement being made by his commanding officer, immediately followed by an order to return to duty. His daughter, Elaine Lane, explained: 'There were no parties or celebrations; they were still on active service.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It wasn't until February 1946 that Henry finally returned home. He and his sweetheart had written letters to each other throughout the war. Just one week after his return, they married, with Henry still in his uniform, as these were the only clothes he had. The couple made their home in Birmingham, raised two daughters, and worked to help rebuild Britain. Henry (young) Henry shared the honour and emotion of being invited to Buckingham Palace for tea with the King and Queen just last month in honour of VE day; a moving tribute to his service and the memory of those who never came home. The day began on Victoria Island opposite Buckingham Palace, where Henry and fellow veterans were given front-row seats alongside the King, Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and their children, to witness a magnificent military procession. The Prime Minister took the salute on behalf of the nation, followed by a flypast and a stirring performance of 'Land of Hope and Glory' by the Band of the King's Troop. Inside the Palace, a tea party awaited in the Long Hall, adorned with handcrafted bunting made from old household fabrics. The tables were laid with classic favourites – sandwiches, savouries, cakes and strawberries. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It was here that Henry was seated beside Queen Camilla. His daughter shared: Henry at procession 'Dad said she was lovely – gracious and humorous. She thanked him for his six years of service abroad, and they even spoke about her father's time in the war.' Henry also had the chance to speak with the King and the Duchess of Edinburgh, both of whom made time to thank the veterans for their service. 'It was all about those brave men and women who didn't come home,' Elaine added. Although humbled by the Palace invitation, Henry was clear that his presence there was not about personal recognition. 'He said time and again he wanted us to remember the brave men and women who didn't come home,' said his daughter. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Today, Henry is supported by a small team of trusted Care Experts from Bluebird Care Worcester and Wychavon. Andy Toon, Registered Care Manager at Bluebird Care Worcester and Wychavon, commented: 'Our team couldn't wait to hear about Henry's day at the Palace, and his moving stories from his time in service. Henry is an extraordinary man with an extraordinary story. We are so proud to support him and honoured to be a part of his life.'
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
104-year-old VE Day hero invited to Buckingham Palace tea
He kept the horrors of the Second World War to himself for eight decades. Now, 104-year-old veteran Henry Ducker has shared his tale for the first time ahead of having tea with the King and Queen at Buckingham Palace for VE Day. The former RAF flight mechanic, who served as a Leading Aircraftman for six years until 1946, said he was 'honoured' to accept the invitation. Mr Ducker, who was called up to the RAF aged just 19, has never previously met a member of the Royal family and will be the oldest of 30 veterans attending the 80th anniversary celebrations. The day's events, organised by the Royal British Legion, of which the King is patron, will begin with a military procession and fly-past with the Royal family and the Prime Minister. As Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to the Armed Forces, calling their sacrifice 'a debt that can never fully be repaid', Mr Ducker shared his memories with The Telegraph. During the war, he trained at Cranwell in Lincolnshire and the No 1 Radio School in Egypt, and was posted to Reykjavík, Heliopolis, Malta, and Italy, where he worked on the Hawker Hurricane aircraft that saw action in Monte Cassino. He ran control centres wherever he went – including one rigged up in a stripped-out caravan at the end of a runway in Oakington, Cambridgeshire. 'I saw some terrible things in Oakington,' he said. 'With boys going out in the bombers and coming back all shot up. It was horrible. I shall never forget that.' 'They were all very talented people and their lives got cut short, it's such a shame,' he added. In 1943, he sailed for the Middle East aboard the Orbita and vividly recalls how his convoy came under repeated enemy air attack in the Mediterranean. He said: 'We'd been about 20 hours or so sailing and the sirens went, and I looked out and I could see all these aircraft coming towards us. The orders were to get down to the hold, but I was a bit curious to see what was going on. I hung back a bit, and I saw the first lot come and drop, but then I went down. 'In this hold, they'd fastened all the bulkheads and the officers were there with their guns drawn. 'Nobody panics at all, but you should've seen these men's faces. It was like we were in a tin can, the bombs were dropping, you could hear them.' In Yugoslavia, impoverished villagers once invited him to a girl's birthday meal in their family home. 'They had no beds, they just slept on the floor…They brought flagons of great wine out. They kept filling our glasses up!' He was on guard at night in Campo Marina, Italy, when news of the German surrender came through. He remembers having been given a gun for his guard duties and firing it up into the sky, celebrating. 'I'd never fired a gun before that! I was over the moon. I knew I was going home, I'd survived,' he said. He later helped escort German POWs by train across Europe. Taking a train through France on his way home, then crossing the Channel to Newhaven. 'I shall never forget the ferry, the Royal Daffodil that went into Newhaven. And there I sent a telegram to my mum and dad saying 'I'm now back in the UK, I'll see you soon'. 'I hadn't seen them for years. I went in as a boy at 19, and I came back at 26 almost to the day. I came home in January 1946 and got married in March. I wrote to her the whole time I was away, we'd met when we were 5.' Veterans from the Royal Navy, British Army, RAF, Wrens, Special Operations Executives, D-Day and Desert Rats, as well as 20 Second World War-era civilians, including evacuees, have all been invited as guests of honour to the tea party at the palace. Ten female veterans will be in attendance, including former codebreakers, drivers and mechanics. Among them are Joyce Wilding, 100, of 'Churchill's Secret Army', and Ruth Bourne, 98, a Wren at Bletchley Park. Both were in the crowds outside Buckingham Palace in 1945, celebrating VE Day. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
