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D-Day veteran celebrates 100th birthday

Jo Burn/BBC An elderly man wearing a blue shirt lying in a hospital bed. The elderly man is wearing a badge on his shirt with the number 100 on it. To the right is a man wearing a black jumper sitting in a chair. Both are looking at the cameraJo Burn/BBC
Peter Smoothy celebrated his 100th birthday in hospital with family members including his grandson John

A D-Day veteran from Herne Bay has celebrated his 100th birthday with a party for family, friends and staff at a Margate hospital.

Peter Smoothy was just 19 when he found himself one of 99 crew on tank landing ship HMS LST 215 heading over over the English Channel to Juno Beach, Normandy, carrying vital military vehicles.

Mr Smoothy told BBC Radio Kent: "They gave us a job and we went on and did it."

His centenary was spent in the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital surrounded by family members with cake and a balloon supplied by hospital staff.

Getty Images Military vehicles being loaded aboard two tank landing ships at a beach. There are dozens of military personnel around the ships. The image is black and whiteGetty Images
Military vehicles being loaded aboard Tank Landing Ship HMS LST 215 (right), the ship Mr Smoothy took to France

After enjoying his chocolate cake, Mr Smoothy said he had been overwhelmed by his impromptu party and was looking forward to getting back home.

He said: “I was pleased to see that so many people could find their way here and come round and still like the name of Peter Smoothy.”

Mr Smoothy also explained that he was one of 156,000 allied servicemen who took part in Operation Overlord and on 6 June, 1944, found himself offshore waiting for the beach to be cleared.

Peter Smoothy 18 people on a beach. There are five elderly people in wheelchairs, 13 people stood behind them. One man kneeling at the frontPeter Smoothy
Mr Smoothy (front row, second from right) with the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans in Normandy for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings

After returning from war, Mr Smoothy became landlord of The Four Fathoms pub in Herne Bay, which he ran for 40 years.

In June this year, Mr Smoothy returned to France to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, saying he wanted to say hello to his fallen comrades.

“Some of us came out of it and some didn’t - a lot lost their lives," he said.

Mr Smoothy's grandson John told the BBC he was pleased his grandfather was able to return to the beaches.

“We are so proud of him," said John.

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