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UK’s oldest man given ‘Freedom of The Borough’ for service in World War 2
30 May 2025, 17:53
The UK’s oldest man, Donald Rose, 110, has been given the ‘Freedom of The Borough’ in Derbyshire.
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Mr Rose was presented with the honour at his care home in Ilkeston in Derbyshire by Harry Atkinson, The Mayor of Erewash.
As the UK’s oldest World War Two veteran, Mr Rose was one of the first soldiers onto the beaches in Normandy during the D-Day landings before fighting in North Africa as one of the illustrious ‘Desert Rats’.
Mr Rose told LBC: “It’s pretty special, I didn’t think these things would happen to me. It doesn’t make me any better than anybody else though.”
He continued: “I just want to say thank you so much everyone for coming. I didn’t do anything back then that anybody else wasn’t doing.”
Harry Atkinson, The Mayor of Erewash said: “It’s the highest award that a local authority can give out and we’ve only given out six in the history of Erewash Borough Council. It’s a very special place and people love Donald.”
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Cllr Atkinson continued: “Erewash and Derbyshire have a very high veteran population so people like Donald and Remembrance events mean a huge amount to the local community. It’s people like Donald that allowed us to be free today. He’s given up so much to do that.”
“VE Day was our prompt to do something and mark this special occasion by showing our respect to Donald.”
Mr Rose was shot in the leg during the D-Day landings, which saw Allied troops land on five beaches in northern France, in what was a turning point in the Second World War.
He was part of an advance party that placed what were known as beacon lamps on beaches so the Allies could establish their bridgehead to liberate Europe from Hitler and the Nazis.
The lamps flashed a Morse code letter every seven seconds so landing craft packed with troops could find their designated drop-off zone.
