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Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
UK's oldest WW2 veteran receives freedom honour
The UK's oldest surviving World War Two veteran has been awarded the Freedom of Erewash. Donald Rose, who is also the UK's oldest man aged 110, was honoured by Erewash's youngest ever mayor, 25-year-old Harry Atkinson, at a ceremony at his care home in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. Atkinson said it was a "privilege" to present the award to the veteran. Receiving the award, Mr Rose said it was "great" and "very nice to see all the people" at the small event. "I want to say thank you very much for coming to see me," he said. "I didn't do anything that anybody else wouldn't have done." His son, David Rose, said he was proud of his dad, adding: "Bearing in mind what he's been through, it's quite something, and he's still here to tell the tale. "You start telling [his] story and you get a lump in your throat. All I can say is I'm extremely proud of the man. "Thank you to the council, greatly appreciated, and he deserves it. He also praised the work of the British Legion for supporting veterans like his father. Paul Scott, John Sewell and Paul Jarvis from the Ilkeston and Long Eaton branches of the Legion attended the ceremony. Harry Atkinson said veterans like Donald "need recognising". "We've had a generation of people that served in WW2," he said. "Some gave the ultimate sacrifice. "This is in recognition of not just Donald but to them as well. They allowed us the freedoms that we have today. "If anything, it's a shame that it's taken us this long. 110 is a bit too long I think!" The leader of the council James Dawson said it was a unanimous decision of the authority to award Donald the freedom of the borough. "It's the highest honour that any local authority can bestow," he said. "It is in recognition of Donald and his service, but also [a] special things in this 80th year of VE day and VJ day. "People who took part, people like Donald, we have to treasure the time we have with them." Mr Rose was born in Westcott in Surrey on 24 December 1914. He joined the Queen's Royal Regiment at the age of 25 and went on to train as a sniper. He served in North Africa and Europe and puts his longevity down to salty water he had to drink during his time as a Desert Rat. Mr Rose, who turned 110 last December, enjoyed a wartime-themed party at the care home where he lives in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, for VE day anniversary celebrations earlier this month. Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. UK's oldest WW2 veteran endorsed for freedom honour UK's oldest WW2 veteran on BBC VE Day 80 special Spitfire flypast for UK's oldest WW2 veteran UK's oldest man to celebrate 110th birthday UK's oldest D-Day veteran to join anniversary event Erewash Borough Council
BBC News
09-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
UK's oldest WW2 veteran endorsed for freedom of Erewash honour
The UK's oldest surviving World War Two Veteran could be awarded the freedom of a borough in Borough Council has announced it will meet to vote on whether to grant the Freedom of the Borough to 110-year-old veteran Donald Rose, in the wake of the 80th anniversary of VE motion, called by leader of the authority, councillor James Dawson, will be discussed at a full council meeting on Thursday."As the oldest resident of the borough and the nation's oldest veteran of the Second World War, the contributions of him and his generation have ensured the continuation of our values and democratic freedoms that we enjoy," Dawson said. Mr Rose was born in Westcott in Surrey on 24 December 1914 and served in World War Two with the Queen's Royal joining the Army, he trained as a sniper and served in North Africa and EuropeMr Rose, who turned 110 on Christmas Eve, enjoyed a wartime-themed party at the care home where he lives in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, for VE day anniversary celebrations on Wednesday."We are at this moment in history where the war is just within living memory with veterans now," Dawson added."We felt with the few veterans that are left, we have a treasure in Donald. "Giving him the freedom on the 80th anniversary of VE day, we felt it was a significant milestone that needed to be marked."
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Veteran, 104, reveals life as a prisoner of war
One of the last surviving veterans of the Second World War has been sharing his experience of being held as a prisoner of war and returning to his life in Surrey. Eric Reeves, 104, joined the Territorial Army at 16 and became a Lance Corporal with the Queen's Royal Regiment by the age of 20 but was captured by German forces in 1940 and spent five years in a prison camp. Now Eric, from Godstone, has shared his experiences of being captured, as well as rebuilding his life following his release and return to the UK. Speaking to Radio Surrey about enlisting, he said: "We were delighted. We didn't know what frightened was." Eric and members of his regiment were captured in France in 1940 and marched to the town of Doullens in the north of the country and on to Amiens and Cambrai. He said that, during three days of marching, the prisoners were only given bread and water once. "We were then put on cattle trucks with our knees up and crammed in, and transported to Poland," he added. "We were so weak that if we tried to get up, we would black out and sit back down again Eric spent five years in a prison camp in Szubin, where he was held for the remainder of the war. During this time, he became fluent in German and is still able to speak the language to this day. In 1945, one of Eric's fellow prisoners left the hut one morning to discover there were no longer any guards. Later that day, an allied Russian tank ran over the gates of the prison camp and declared that the war was over. They were picked up by some German soldiers who had surrendered and were taken to an American military camp, before eventually returning home. On returning to Surrey, Eric said that he used some of his backpay from the army to take up ballroom dancing in Reigate. It was through this and an encounter in a dance hall in Dorking that he met his wife of 60 years, Hilda, by pretending to be a novice dancer to win her over. He said: "We started a slow foxtrot and she said, 'you old fibber, you can dance'. I'll always remember that!" Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Nine killed in WW2 bomber crash remembered Armistice Day marked across the South East Cadets urged to keep lessons of WW2 alive
BBC News
09-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Godstone: World War II veteran shares life as prisoner in Poland
One of the last surviving veterans of the Second World War has been sharing his experience of being held as a prisoner of war and returning to his life in Reeves, 104, joined the Territorial Army at 16 and became a Lance Corporal with the Queen's Royal Regiment by the age of 20 but was captured by German forces in 1940 and spent five years in a prison Eric, from Godstone, has shared his experiences of being captured, as well as rebuilding his life following his release and return to the to Radio Surrey about enlisting, he said: "We were delighted. We didn't know what frightened was." Eric and members of his regiment were captured in France in 1940 and marched to the town of Doullens in the north of the country and on to Amiens and said that, during three days of marching, the prisoners were only given bread and water once."We were then put on cattle trucks with our knees up and crammed in, and transported to Poland," he added."We were so weak that if we tried to get up, we would black out and sit back down againEric spent five years in a prison camp in Szubin, where he was held for the remainder of the war. During this time, he became fluent in German and is still able to speak the language to this 1945, one of Eric's fellow prisoners left the hut one morning to discover there were no longer any guards. Later that day, an allied Russian tank ran over the gates of the prison camp and declared that the war was were picked up by some German soldiers who had surrendered and were taken to an American military camp, before eventually returning returning to Surrey, Eric said that he used some of his backpay from the army to take up ballroom dancing in was through this and an encounter in a dance hall in Dorking that he met his wife of 60 years, Hilda, by pretending to be a novice dancer to win her said: "We started a slow foxtrot and she said, 'you old fibber, you can dance'. I'll always remember that!"
