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UK’s oldest Second World War veteran honoured with hundreds of handmade poppies in Armistice Day display
11 November 2024, 10:27 | Updated: 11 November 2024, 10:33
Veteran gets treated to poppy display on Remembrance Sunday
The UK’s oldest Second World War Veteran has been honoured this Armistice Day with a display of hundreds of handmade poppies at his care home.
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Donald Rose, who turns 110 this year, was one of the first soldiers onto the beaches in Normandy during the D-Day landings before fighting in North Africa as one of the illustrious ‘Desert Rats’.
Hundreds of handmade poppies were made by community members to honour the veteran who served in North Africa and Europe, later becoming a sniper.
Mr Rose told LBC that Armistice Day is a difficult date in the calendar for veterans around the world, as many of the comrades he fought with are no longer alive.
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He said: “It’s a bit upsetting really, the people I came out the army with are all dead. I suppose I’m lucky to have lived this long.”
Mr Rose said this time of year makes him think of “a woman who sang a song, and she said ‘when the poppies bloom again, I’ll remember you.”
The display was organised by the care home activity coordinator at Donald's Derbyshire care home.
Naomi Allsop said: “He should be remembered for everything he’s done. It’s not every day you get to meet, work with or be the very best of friends with the UK’s oldest World War Two veteran.
“I put a call out to the community asking for anyone who had any time to spare to donate poppies of any shape, size or material. We had hundreds donated from people across the East Midlands including from a number of schools.”
Mr Rose was shot in the leg during the D-Day landings, which saw Allied troops land on five beaches in northern France, in what was a turning point in the Second World War.
He was part of an advance party that placed what were known as beacon lamps on beaches so the Allies could establish their bridgehead to liberate Europe from Hitler and the Nazis.
The lamps flashed a Morse code letter every seven seconds so landing craft packed with troops could find their designated drop-off zone.
Alongside the poppies brightening up the Ilkeston Canal, Donald also took part in a special Remembrance service at the care home and was visited by a Shetland pony draped in poppies.
