Happy 112th Birthday Henry Allingham

[Kyt]

BBC NEWS | England | Oldest veteran of WWI reaches 112

Britain's oldest man, thought to be one of three surviving UK World War I veterans, is celebrating reaching his 112th birthday.

Henry Allingham, who was born in London on 6 June 1896, is also the last surviving original member of the Royal Air Force - formed 90 years ago.

Mr Allingham, from Ovingdean, near Brighton, will celebrate at Royal Air Force College Cranwell, Lincolnshire.

The event will include a fly-past by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

There will also be a parachute jump by the Royal Air Force Falcons Parachute Display Team.

The event will be attended by Air Vice Marshal Peter Dye (retd) and Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns.

Mr Allingham's birthday will also be marked by a visit from local schoolchildren who will give him a cake.

Before setting off for Lincolnshire, the 112-year-old said he felt "on the crest of a wave" and was looking forward to a wonderful day.

"I just hope I don't let the side down," he said.

"People ask me how I've done it, and I just say that I look forward to another tomorrow."

Now partially deaf and almost blind, Mr Allingham, who was born in Clapham, London, now lives at St Dunstan's home for blind ex-servicemen, in Ovingdean.

His life has spanned six monarchs and has taken in 21 prime ministers.

'Wild women'

Mr Allingham grew up without a father after he died from tuberculosis in 1898. His mother died 17 years later.

He went on to have two daughters with his wife Dorothy Cater, whom he married in 1919, and now has five grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

His wife died 38 years ago, while his daughters both died in their 80s.

Mr Allingham is the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland in 1916 and also fought at the Somme and Ypres where he was bombed and shelled.

He joined the Royal Air Force when it was formed from the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and the Army's Flying Corps in 1918.

His many medals and honours include the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the Legion D'Honneur - the highest military accolade awarded by France.

He has joked that the secret to his longevity is "cigarettes, whisky and wild women".

[Antipodean Andy]

First World War RAF ace Henry Allingham celebrates 112th birthday - Mirror.co.uk

Someone should tell Henry Allingham that retirement is supposed to be relaxing.

Europe's oldest man, who turned 112 yesterday and was honoured with a flypast, has just completed a hectic year of charity work, travelling and parties.

Along the way Henry, who's Britain's oldest First World War veteran, met royalty, the Prime Minister and mingled with some of our biggest stars.

He also met young soldiers who had been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, and shared his experience of the horrors of war with schoolchildren.

AdvertisementThis extraordinary man, who witnessed battles by air, sea and land, did not talk about the war for 80 years until Dennis Goodwin, founder of the World War One Veterans' Association, tracked him down and convinced Henry that his memories were of national importance.

Now, with Dennis and his wife Brenda as his devoted carers, Henry - the last surviving founding member of the RAF - has a packed annual schedule of more than 70 engagements and events.

The great-great-great grandad, who lives in a nursing home in Eastbourne and is registered blind, tackles each event with remarkable strength and humour.

He says: "How long am I going to keep on going? Dennis says Him up yonder has lost all my papers and I have to stay down here with him.

"I love being active and having visits to look forward to. I've had a good life and am ready to go when my time comes. But for now, there's still so much to enjoy, like my next birthday celebration.

"I don't think I'll ever give up on life - there's too much to live for."

5 June 2007

111th birthday on HMS Victory in Portsmouth

"The day was so special for me because I'd been on HMS Victory on my 100th birthday and didn't think I'd be back. I never dreamt I'd be there again, 11 years later, enjoying a meal in Nelson's cabin. It's beyond my wildest dreams."

12 June

Veterans visit to Worthing with London Taxi charity

"The Duchess of Gloucester, who is the patron of the charity, visited. I gave her a card and the veterans sang Happy Birthday to her. She said someone in the room had just enjoyed their 110th birthday and led the singing for me!"

10 July

Meeting Queen at a Buckingham Palace garden party "I'm a true royalist and I have met the Queen nine times now and each time I feel even more privileged."

12 August

Arundel Castle cricket ground in support of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

"This was a very emotional day packed full of memories. During the interval Dennis wheeled me up to the scorebox and I told the crowd a few of my cricket stories, like the time I watched WG Grace in 1903 at the Oval. They clapped a lot so I think they appreciated it."

1 September

St Omer, France, commemorating liberation from the Germans in 1945

"This is always one of my favourite trips. I'm a freeman of St Omer, which is where I first landed in France, so it holds many memories for me. I'm proud there's a monument for all the fliers of WWI. So very proud. I also really like the French people - and the wine and cheese!"

15 September

Visit RAF Shoreham Airshow as Guest of Honour

"I like air shows immensely, and the roar of the engines holds so many memories for me."

9 October

Pride of Britain Awards, London

"What a wonderful night! I met two lovely Dames - Vera Lynn and Shirley Bassey. I was having a chat with Carol Vorderman on stage, and then my entire family walked out to greet me. They'd been secretly flown in from America!

"The next day we were invited to 10 Downing Street."

1 April 2008

Tree planting at Odiham, Hants, then on to Hendon for a banquet to celebrate the RAF's 90th anniversary

"Today I was filled with immense pride. Being among military men is the one place I feel people understand the camaraderie of mess life. It was part of my life in the war and I missed it when it was over."

28 May

Tour of Worthing in a 1926 Rolls Royce

"Today was my most exciting for ages. I worked with Rolls Royce cars for many years as an engineer, designer, coachbuilder and experimentalist. I ran my hand over every inch of the car's body work. A real treat that brought back my working days."

TIMES OF HIS LIFE

June 6 1896: Henry William Allingham is born in Clapton, East London, two days after the very first Ford vehicle, the Ford Quadricycle, is constructed.

1898: His father dies from tuberculosis when Henry is 18 months old, in the year that Marie and Pierre Curie discover radium, which led to the X-ray machine and radiation treatments. Also that year, Brad's Drink is renamed Pepsi Cola.

1915: Following the death of his mother at the age of 42, Allingham enlists with the Royal Naval Air Service as a skilled mechanic as World War One gathers momentum.

1916: In the year of the Easter Rising in Ireland, Henry is posted to the RNAS Great Yarmouth and joins HMT Kingfisher which is involved in the greatest naval battle of the Great War, the Battle of Jutland.

1917: Posted to France to support the Royal Flying Corps, and joined No 12 Squadron of the RNAS to service and rescue aircraft that crashed behind the trenches. Influenza pandemic strikes, killing 20 million people worldwide.

1919: After leaving the RNAS, Henry marries 22-year-old Dorothy Cater in Chingford, Essex in the year the historic Versailles Treaty is signed.

Henry goes on to secure engineering jobs and works his way up to a senior position with car manufacturer Ford.

1960: Henry retires to Eastbourne, East Sussex, with his wife Dorothy in the year John F. Kennedy defeats Richard Nixon in a closelyfought presidential race.

1970: Dorothy dies. Their marriage lasted 51 years and produced two daughters, both of whom Henry outlived. He now hassix grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and one great-great-great-grandchild, all but one of whom live in the US.

2003: He receives France's highest military honour, the Legion D'Honneur, at a ceremony in Eastbourne. It has been awarded to more than 440 British soldiers who served in France during the 1914-18 war since 1998.

[Nostalgair]

You just have to salute this chap.

The life he has seen; absolutely amazing.

Cheers

Owen