Hundreds pay tribute to UK's oldest WW2 veteran Donald Rose

Dan Hunt

BBC News, East Midlands

People lined the streets of Ilkeston for Donald Rose’s funeral

Jacob King/PA Wire A children's football team and people in military uniform line the streets while a hearse travels along the road — People lined the streets of Ilkeston for Donald Rose’s funeral

Hundreds of mourners gathered to say a final goodbye to the UK’s oldest man and oldest World War Two veteran, who died at the age of 110 last month.

The death of Donald Rose was announced by Erewash Borough Council on 11 July.

Mr Rose, who served in the Queen’s Royal Regiment as a sniper, survived a bullet to the leg in the D-Day landings.

On Friday, his hearse was escorted by more than 100 motorcycles from Morrisons in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, to Ilkeston Town’s football ground, where a service took place.

Mr Rose was the UK’s oldest man at the time of his death

Jacob King/PA Wire An aerial view of Mr Rose's funeral cortege passing Ilkeston Cenotaph. — Mr Rose was the UK’s oldest man at the time of his death

There was then a parade in Bath Street before military personnel, veterans and the public saluted him at the cenotaph in the town centre.

The veteran, originally from Westcott, Surrey, joined the regiment at the age of 25 and went on to train as a sniper.

Mr Rose served in North Africa and Europe and was part of the division that liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany.

He was eventually a recipient of France’s highest award – the French Legion of Honour.

In May, Mr Rose, who was a resident at the Canal Vue Care Home in Ilkeston, was awarded the Freedom of Erewash.

Mr Rose joined the Queen’s Royal Regiment at the age of 25

PA Donald Rose, sitting in a wheelchair in front of a garden, wears his military medals and beret. — Mr Rose joined the Queen’s Royal Regiment at the age of 25

Addressing a crowd of people gathered at the service, John Wallace, a parade marshal for the Royal British Legion in Derbyshire, said: “Don had an interest in motorbikes.

“It is fitting that Don’s final journey is accompanied by so many like-minded people, and it is a wonderful tribute.

“He epitomised all that was great and all that we have to be grateful for to his generation.”

The service was told that the great-grandfather joined the army because, in his own words, “they needed me to fight” and “I wanted to save this country from the fascists”.