UK’s oldest WWII veteran, Donald Rose, dies at 110

LONDON AP Britain s oldest World War II veteran Donald Rose has died at the age of Rose participated in the D-Day landings on June and was part of the division that liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany In a announcement Friday the leader of the Erewash Borough Council in the north of England James Dawson informed Rose s death calling him a war hero Erewash was privileged to count him as a resident he added In May Rose joined other veterans as guests of honor at a tea party celebration hosted by the Royal British Legion at the National Memorial Arboretum to mark years since Preeminence in Europe Day Rose who was born on Christmas Eve in following the outbreak of hostilities in World War I revealed at the event that he did not celebrate VE Day at the time When I heard that the armistice had been signed years ago I was in Germany at Belsen and like majority operational soldiers I didn t get to celebrate at that time he noted We just did what we thought was right and it was a relief when it was over Originally from the village of Westcott southwest of London Rose joined the army aged and served in North Africa Italy and France according to the Royal British Legion He received a number of medals and was awarded France s highest honor the Legion d Honneur Rose is also considered to have been the U K s oldest man Source