Birthday cards appeal for Southend navy veteran turning 100

An appeal for people to send 100th birthday cards to a World War Two veteran has been issued in a bid to make his big day extra special.

Dougie Shelley joined the Royal Navy at the age of 17, serving as a seaman gunner, and said earlier this year: “There is not many of us left.”

The sailor, from Southend-on-Sea, was on a ship in Hong Kong when the news of Germany’s surrender filtered through.

“When we heard about Victory in Europe, everybody got together, and we all had a good old drink up and jolly up,” he said.

The Southend branch of the Royal Naval Association has issued the appeal for Mr Shelley, who will turn 100 on 23 September.

Chairman John Hawes, 76, said Mr Shelley was the branch’s “last Arctic convoy veteran, and also he was at D-Day”.

Mr Hawes, who was a chef and a baker on aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, will make Mr Shelley’s birthday cake – a Victoria sponge.

Paul Bennett, Mr Shelley’s carer, said the 99-year-old was on HMS Milne on D-Day “supporting the chaps going off to land in craft ashore in Normandy, and he was a gunner keeping the skies clear of enemy aircraft”.

Mr Shelley said: “The war killed so many people, it’s unbelievable… 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.”

Mr Hawes said the aim was to collect at least 100 cards, which will be shown to Mr Shelley on his birthday, and he asked for them to be sent to the Royal Naval Association at 73-79 East Street, Southend SS2 6LQ.