An “inspirational” war veteran has celebrated his 100th birthday surrounded by friends and family.
Jack Ainsworth marked his milestone day at his local pub, The Waggon and Horses in Newtown, where he still enjoys a pint every Sunday. Asked for the secret to a long life, Jack joked that it was “a fry‑up most mornings – and wine, women and singing.”
Raised in Edgbaston, Birmingham, Jack grew up during the Second World War and recalls being a teenager when a friend’s house was bombed. He remembers desperately trying to pull rubble away with his bare hands in an effort to reach his friend’s mother and sister, who were trapped inside.
Too young to join the Army, Jack enlisted in the Royal Navy in his late teens and went on to serve as a radar operator on destroyers including HMS Cossack and HMS Verdun. His service took him around the world, including to Australia, Singapore, China, Norway and Christmas Island.
“You just cannot comprehend what they lived through,” his son Keith said. “Sadly, we are losing more and more of the older generation every year, but we never want to leave their legacy behind.”
Jack remains dedicated to remembrance and veteran support throughout his life. He is a long‑standing member of the Royal British Legion and continued selling poppies until his early 90s. He has also taken part in every Remembrance Day parade in Newtown.
After the war, Jack worked a wide variety of jobs – a true Jack of all trades – including as a bus driver, dustman and, for 25 years, a fireman.
In the early 1960s he served with the Auxiliary Fire Service on the iconic Green Goddess engines, later training as a paramedic. His career saw him respond to major fires across Birmingham, some of which burned for days.
A lifelong Birmingham City supporter – one of the oldest in the country - Jack travelled the country to watch his beloved team.
The long‑distance lorry driver never received a single parking ticket in more than 70 years behind the wheel, and for his 80th birthday, he was gifted an advanced motoring course - which he passed with flying colours.
He eventually gave up driving at 93 after suffering a stroke, but is “breaking all the speed limits on his mobility scooter,” Keith joked.
In 2002, he and his late wife Beryl moved to Newtown to be closer to family.
Jack – who is believed to be Newtown’s oldest veteran – also had a pre-birthday celebration at All Saints Church in Newtown which was attended by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor Peter and Margaret Lewington.
“He’s an inspiration,” his daughter Marleen said.
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