D-Day veteran gets 1,000 cards to mark centenary

A D-Day Royal Navy veteran who told his granddaughter he was not expecting to get many cards for his 100th birthday, has received more than 1,000 greetings from around the world.

Jim Grant, who helped to protect troops landing on the Normandy beaches in 1944, also enjoyed a surprise birthday party with family members and friends in Stowmarket, Suffolk.

The event began when Mr Grant arrived at the town's United Reformed Church and was greeted by standard bearers from the Royal British Legion and school children later sang to him.

Representatives from the armed forces also attended to present Mr Grant's official service history and to congratulate him on reaching his centenary.

Mr Grant, who is the honorary president for the Royal Naval Association in Stowmarket, said: "I'm absolutely amazed because I never expected any of it. The singing was fantastic, the children were very good and I'm feeling great."

His eldest daughter, Heather Freer, said: "This has come as a complete surprise to him and he thought he was going to a normal tea and biscuits morning.

"He's a D-Day veteran and he was a Royal Marine on a landing craft operating the big guns to protect the troops that were landing. The whole family is very proud of him."

Robert Bellfield, the Royal Navy regional commander for London and eastern England, said: "He was a gunner on a landing craft and they really didn't know what to expect, how much opposition they would have or even what the depth of water was.

"I take my hat off to him and to everybody who served with him during that period."

Michelle Frost, the organiser of the event, said: "He fought for our freedom and he's truly a lovely and wonderful man.

"He told his granddaughter he didn't think he would receive many cards to mark his 100th birthday so we put out a request on social media and we have now received more than 1,000 cards from people in the community, from New Zealand, France, Scotland and all over the world and there are more coming in."

Mr Grant, whose birthday is on 20 December, added he has no secrets to living a long life but he said he "just takes things as they come".

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