UK: Appeal for 100th birthday cards for Second World War veteran

London: Well-wishers are being urged to send 100th birthday cards to a Second World War veteran who served in the Arctic Convoys to make his surprise celebration extra special.

Dougie Shelley, who has no known surviving family, joined the Royal Navy at 17, served as a seaman gunner and said earlier this year: “There’s not many of us left.”

The sailor, of Southend in Essex, was on a ship in Hong Kong when news came through of Germany’s surrender, and said in a previous interview that it “couldn’t have been better”.

He said: “The war killed so many people it’s unbelievable. All around, the Americans, Russians, all the Allies, the same with the Germans.

“But you were doing a job, the same as they had to. It’s either kill or be killed.

“When we heard about victory in Europe, everybody got together and we all had a good old drink up and jolly up, and couldn’t welcome it much better.”