One of the last D-Day survivors celebrates reaching the grand old age of 101 at his home near Lancaster

John William Tomlinson was awarded the Legion d’honneur for his service in the RAF during World War Two.

He volunteered at 18 and trained as an aeroplane engine fitter working on the iconic Spitfire and bombers.

He described D-Day as ‘a bit unpleasant’ although he was proud to work on the Spitfires.

John’s wartime experience also saw him seconded to the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and serve with Bomber Command, Fighter Command and Coastal Command in Belgium, Holland and Germany.

“When VE Day arrived, we were posted to a remote place just inside Germany and had a church parade on the airfield,” said John.

“We were quite near the Dutch border and were a bit peeved that we couldn’t join in with their celebrations so listened on the radio.”

He later joined Lancashire and Cumbria branch of the Normandy Veterans Association and was a standard bearer. The branch visited Holland to mark the 25th anniversary of its liberation and John has also returned to Normandy.

The Normandy beaches were a far cry from Rigmaden, near Kirkby Lonsdale, where John was born on September 17, 1922.

His father was working on John’s grandfather’s farm at the time. He attended Barbon village school and left aged 14 to become an errand boy for the village store.

When the family including John’s two brothers moved to a farm at Leck, John worked there before taking a forestry job on Lord Shuttleworth’s estate.

After being demobbed from the war, John became a foreman driver at the German Prisoner of War Camp at Milnthorpe as he could speak some German.

“I got on well with the POWs. They were just like me and did as they were told.”

John then became a haulage driver until 1950 when he joined Lancashire Constabulary working in various areas within the boundary of old Lancashire which then included Manchester.

John was on patrol work at a time when motorways were just opening and was one of the first two police officers to patrol the new Lancaster bypass.

By 1974, John had been posted to Birch near Rochdale on the M62. “The smog used to roll in and cause some terrible accidents which weren’t very nice to attend.”

His job also involved escorting VIPs visiting Lancashire including Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret and former Prime Minister Jim Callaghan.

After completing 30 years service, John retired from the police but worked until 1999, firstly as a manager for Granada Services at Birch and finally part-time at Burton Services.

Retirement meant John could spend more time with wife Margaret who he’d married in 1950. They had two children, Barry and Sandra.

The couple travelled extensively, mainly in Europe, but Margaret sadly died last year after more than 70 years of marriage.

During leisure time, John has enjoyed wood turning and was a Cumbria Wood Turners Association member.

He reached his century just a few days after Queen Elizabeth’s death so was one of the first people to receive a birthday card from King Charles.

John only sold his car last year and puts his longevity down to eating carefully and stopping smoking in 1972 so he could afford to buy a new house.