On 11 November, naval veteran John King celebrated his 100th birthday with a party for friends and family.
Born on 11 November 1924, John King celebrated his 100th birthday on 11 November 2024 - Armistice Day.
John joined the Royal Navy in 1943 and was drafted onto HMS Janus which was involved in the bombardments of both coasts of Italy. He was a sight-setter on the warship’s stern gun, manning the range and deflection controls to keep shells on target under heavy attack.
During the Allied landings at Anzio in January 1944, the Janus was sunk after being hit by a flying bomb. 160 seamen were killed. John was among the 52 who survived.
John has been part of the Taxi Charity for Mility Veterans family for many years and in June 2024 he made an emotional pilgrimage to Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. In September, he joined the charity on a trip to the Chatham Historic Dockyard, where the group held a short commemoration and wreath laying service in front of the Destroyer Memorial. The 12ft by 10ft bronze memorial was unveiled by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in 2007 and commemorates the 11,000 lives and 142 Royal Naval Destroyers lost during World War II. For John King, it was a particularly emotional moment, for among the long list of warships recorded on the memorial was that of his doomed ship, HMS Janus.
On Friday 8 November, volunteers from the Taxi Charity joined John’s family and friends in Becontree for his 100th birthday party.
Colin Mills, chairman of the Taxi Charity, said: "Many of our volunteer drivers and supporters joined John on Friday night to celebrate his 100th birthday with his family and friends. John has been part of the Taxi Charity family for many years and we were delighted to be asked to participate in the fabulous birthday parade in which John was driven in a taxi to the venue."
