Royal Navy hero John King, 100, honoured with birthday parade and get together in his hometown | UK | News | EUROtoday

Royal Navy hero John King was honoured with a birthday parade and a celebration match for a king as his hometown stopped to pay tribute.

The centenarian thought he was being whisked off to a humble shindig at his native the Royal British Legion membership in Dagenham, East London.

Instead, the city turned out to salute the Second World War veteran who was aboard HMS Janus alongsde 160 crew when it was sunk in the course of the battle of Monte Cassino in Italy in January 1940.

Last night time he was moved to tears as pipers, commonplace bearers, sea cadets, RBL friends, members of the Royal Naval Association, firefighters, the mayor, and Taxi Charity for Military Veterans carried out a vibrant spectacle in respect for one of many giants of The Greatest Generation.

Tomorrow he’ll be a part of King Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and a dwindling band of Second World War veterans in paying tribute to fallen heroes on Armistice Day as Britain falls silent to honour its Glorious Dead. John will have a good time reaching three figures on Monday.

He joined the Senior Service in April 1943 at 18 and joined the 14th Destroyer Flotilla serving aboard HMS Janus, named after the Roman god.

He served in Anzio as a sight-setter on the warship’s stern gun, manning the vary and deflection controls below heavy assault to maintain shells on the right track. HMS Janus fired a volley of greater than 500 shells within the first two days of the landings in assist of Allied troops, however she was downed on January 23, 1944 when she was struck by a torpedo off western Italy. Only 80 crew, together with John, survived.

In June the lionheart made an emotional pilgrimage to Normandy with Taxi Charity for Military Veterans as a part of commemorations for the eightieth anniversary of D-Day the place he remembered fallen pals.

He stated: “We are all popping off soon. I am 99 and most of us are in our nineties, so this is likely to be our last chance to be here.”

Braveheart John is the final Second World War veteran standing on the Becontree and Chadwell Heath District RBL department and the final surviving member of the fabled Tyne & Wear-built destroyer’s crew.

Friday night time’s spectacular parade and get together was the prelude to a shifting and monumental weekend for John and his fallen brothers in arms.

His landmark birthday was made all of the extra particular because of the generosity of West Ham United followers who despatched 100 playing cards after a Facebook attraction to recognise his selflessness and heroism on essentially the most poignant of days. The gesture was organised by Hammers followers who needed to do one thing to “help to make John’s 100th birthday an extra special occasion”.

John is a veteran beloved by Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, run by volunteer London black cab drivers and which has been supporting hundreds of British servicemen and girls since 1948. The charity obtained the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2021.

He was greatest pals with Braveheart Bill Gladden, the trooper who performed a pivotal function on D-Day and was determined to return to Normandy to salute those that died preventing for freedom on the eightieth anniversary of the landings, however died in April aged 100 and by no means acquired to say his last farewells.

When John returned to France for the commemorations together with his Taxi Charity friends he visited Le Grand Bunker, a museum and backyard on Sword Beach, Ouistreham, the place he stopped to learn Bill’s title as the latest addition to a memorial honouring fallen heroes.

He stated: “Bill was a great character, full of stories, and that’s part of the reason we all enjoy this so much. People ask why we all look so cheerful and keep going during such a tiring trip. Well, you’ve only got one life so live each day as though it was your last. That was Bill’s motto and it is mine.”

In September John joined the charity for a visit to Chatham Historic Dockyard the place he took half in a commemoration and wreath laying service in entrance of the Destroyer Memorial.

It was unveiled by the late Duke of Edinburgh in 2007 and commemorates the 11,000 lives and 142 Royal Naval Destroyers misplaced in the course of the Second World War, together with the doomed HMS Janus on which he served with distinction.

Colin Mills, Chairman of Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, stated: “Many of our volunteer drivers and supporters joined John to celebrate his 100^th birthday. John has been part of the Taxi Charity for many years and we enjoyed marking this wonderful milestone with his friends and family.”

Spokeswoman Christina Bowden stated: “Our pilgrimage to Normandy for the eightieth anniversary of D-Day was a exceptional milestone for a small charity run by enthusiastic volunteers. Sadly, it could be the final event for veterans to journey to France for such a large-scale commemoration.”