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New Year Honours: Centenarian Desert Rat 'surprised' by OBE

BBC Hector DuffBBC
Mr Duff led the island's commemoration of the 75th anniversary of D-Day in 2019

A 100-year-old Desert Rat who became an OBE in the New Year Honours list was "surprised" to receive the accolade.

Hector Duff was with the 7th Armoured Division - the Desert Rats - in World War Two and was recognised for his work teaching children about the conflict.

Mr Duff, who was given a BEM in 2013, said he never expected "any more".

Isle of Man Police chief constable Gary Roberts said the centenarian, who was with the force for three decades, had given "a whole lifetime of service".

Hector Duff
Hector Duff served in the army during World War Two between 1940 and 1945

He said Mr Duff was "simply inspirational, not only in the way that he has given a whole lifetime of service, but in terms of how he continues to do all that he can to make young people aware of the horrors of war".

He added that he had "never met anyone else who is remotely like him".

Mr Duff, who also took part in the D-Day landings, was also awarded the Tynwald Honour, the highest honour the island can bestow, in 2014.