Royal Navy hero John King was honoured with a birthday parade and a party fit for a king as his hometown stopped to pay tribute.
The centenarian thought he was being whisked off to a humble shindig at his local the Royal British Legion club in Dagenham, East London.
Instead, the town turned out to salute the Second World War veteran who was aboard HMS Janus alongsde 160 crew when it was sunk during the battle of Monte Cassino in Italy in January 1940.
Last night he was moved to tears as pipers, standard bearers, sea cadets, RBL chums, members of the Royal Naval Association, firefighters, the mayor, and Taxi Charity for Military Veterans performed a colourful spectacle in respect for one of the giants of The Greatest Generation.
Tomorrow he will join 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 celebrate 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 range and deflection controls under heavy attack to keep shells on target. HMS Janus fired a volley of more than 500 shells in the first two days of the landings in support of Allied troops, but she was downed on January 23, 1944 when she was struck by a torpedo off western Italy. Only 80 crew, including John, survived.
In June the lionheart made an emotional pilgrimage to Normandy with Taxi Charity for Military Veterans as part of commemorations for the 80th anniversary of D-Day where he remembered fallen friends.
He said: “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 last Second World War veteran standing at the Becontree and Chadwell Heath District RBL branch and the last surviving member of the fabled Tyne & Wear-built destroyer’s crew.
Friday night’s spectacular parade and party was the prelude to a moving and monumental weekend for John and his fallen brothers in arms.
His landmark birthday was made all the more special thanks to the generosity of West Ham United fans who sent 100 cards after a Facebook appeal to recognise his selflessness and heroism on the most poignant of days. The gesture was organised by Hammers fans who wanted to do something 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 thousands of British servicemen and women since 1948. The charity received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2021.
He was best friends with Braveheart Bill Gladden, the trooper who played a pivotal role on D-Day and was desperate to return to Normandy to salute those who died fighting for freedom on the 80th anniversary of the landings, but died in April aged 100 and never got to say his final farewells.
When John returned to France for the commemorations with his Taxi Charity chums he visited Le Grand Bunker, a museum and garden on Sword Beach, Ouistreham, where he stopped to read Bill’s name as the most recent addition to a memorial honouring fallen heroes.
He said: “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 trip to Chatham Historic Dockyard where he took part in a commemoration and wreath laying service in front 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 lost during the Second World War, including the doomed HMS Janus on which he served with distinction.
Colin Mills, Chairman of Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, said: “Many of our volunteer drivers and supporters joined John to celebrate his 100th 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 said: “Our pilgrimage to Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day was a remarkable milestone for a small charity run by enthusiastic volunteers. Sadly, it may well be the last occasion for veterans to travel to France for such a large-scale commemoration.”
