D-Day veteran from Old Trafford celebrates 100th birthday

George Edmond Brown, from Old Trafford, who celebrated his landmark birthday on Thursday, August 8, has been visiting Morrisons on Stanley Road in Whitefield every week for more than seven years.

During this time he has got to know several members of the team, who wanted to mark his special day with a birthday surprise in the store's café.

A table was reserved for George, who was joined by his daughter and members from Morrisons customer service team, and decorated in military flags as a nod to his heroic past.

They enjoyed complimentary afternoon tea complete with a personalised giant cookie as George received well wishes from fellow diners on his centenary celebration.

When asked for any words of wisdom, George said: “Just keep going. I wouldn’t change anything.

“Well, apart from the weather sometimes but there’s not much we can do about that. Life is all about the ups and downs.”

George celebrated his 100th birthday with Morrison's team members (Image: Newsquest)

George served in the war from the age of 19 and is thought to be one of three last surviving Second World War paratroopers in Britain.

The D-Day veteran was one of the first troops to be dropped in Normandy and George became a prisoner of war soon afterwards.

He later received the Légion d'Honneur medal from the French government for extreme bravery and went on to work as a veterinarian with animal charity People's Dispensary for Sick Animals.

His granddaughter Nicola Waring, from Whitefield, said: “We’re really proud of him and hope he enjoyed the day.

“He never really spoke to us about his military past but my uncle found a lot of information online.

“There was a notice shared in the Manchester Evening News by his parents when he was missing in action and that’s how we discovered he had been captured by the Germans– and escaped – all those years ago.

“He’s very independent. He still lives alone and does his own washing and cooking.”

George received the Legion d'honneur medal from the French government for extreme bravery (Image: supplied)

Originally from Old Trafford, George moved to Whitefield almost 70 years ago and soon became part of the community.

George has four children, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

He enjoys walking and photography, with a particular interest in photographing cathedrals and railway engines and was a keen artist when he was younger.

Sarah Pitt, customer assistant at Morrisons, said: “We wanted to do something special for George and celebrate his big day with us.

“If it wasn’t for people like him and his brave efforts in the war, where would we be?”