Greater Manchester veteran says D-Day was a 'doddle'

A man who served during World War Two has celebrated his 100th birthday at a care home in Greater Manchester.

At 18 years old David Teacher joined the RAF and served as a mechanic in an RAF Beach Unit, which was among the first to land on Juno Beach in Normandy on D-Day in 1944.

He said at first on D-Day he was "apprehensive" but added it turned out to be a "doddle".

In 2012 Mr Teacher was awarded an MBE for his charitable work.

He was the former vice-chairman of the Bolton and District Normandy Veterans Association and a former chairman of the Manchester Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast of the historic day, Mr Teacher said: "At first I was definitely apprehensive, 'cos we didn't know what to expect, but once we got involved in what we had to do, it became more or less simple - a doddle - and we weighed through it without too much trouble."

He said that was "mainly because we had a wonderful air force".

Next year marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day and events will take place to honour the surviving veterans.

Joining the celebrations on Friday were friends and family, including his children and grandchildren. The only person missing was his wife Nancy, to whom he was married for 76 years.

He said they met at a dance "walking up the steps. And I looked over and I stopped and I said 'That's the girl I'm going to marry'. And she said 'You must be joking'." But eventually he did.

"I miss her a great deal," Mr Teacher said.

"I absolutely enjoyed every minute... my life has been out of this world."

WO Steve Garrett, of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, said Mr Teacher was "absolutely extraordinary", adding: "If you have the time to listen to stories of the things he experienced during World War Two, it's absolutely incredible."

He said it was even more important to hear those stories because "there aren't many World War Two veterans left anymore".

Mr Teacher's best friend and biographer Richard Alexander said the veteran's volunteer work talking to visitors coming to the Imperial War Museum in Manchester, was of "incredible importance to him, because he felt it was important to educate their younger visitors about the perils of war and conflict".

Mr Alexander has also self-published a book, No Ordinary Tuesday, which was six years in the making, about Mr Teacher's experiences of World War Two and what came next in his life.

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