Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Toni Inglis

War veteran amazed as ex-RAF planes fly over house for 100th birthday

RAF Irvine Herald Kilmarnock Standard

An Ayrshire Second World War veteran celebrated his 100th birthday with a surprise party and a special flyover from two former RAF planes.

Darvel man Alex Ritchie turned 100 years old on Sunday, November 27 with his daughter Ucilla and his friend Stewart Finlay from the British Legion spent weeks planning the perfect surprise party.

The brave centenarian signed up to join the RAF two weeks after his 19th birthday in 1942. He went on to join the 253 Hurricane Squadron Service. He trained in Blackpool before being moved to Cain Wilshire for trade trading as a Morse code operator.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
There's A Reason Taxi Cabs Are Almost Always Yellow
Yellow taxis are easy to spot in traffic, but the color's history goes far beyond simple visibility.
Motor1
Motor1
How ‘technoference’ can disrupt parent-child connections
Have you ever been telling someone a story when their phone lights up, and their eyes flicker toward their device?
The Conversation
The Conversation
Holding Lightning by Emily Lordi review – an intimate portrait of Whitney Houston
An empathetic biography of the the singer recasts her tumultuous later career as a triumph of self-expression
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Brian May says Queen are retiring from live tours: ‘Maybe 50 years is enough’
Rock guitarist suggested creating an interactive experience for fans similar to the ‘Abba Voyage’ show
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
"Lanterns" finds its power in fear
To fulfill his destiny, John Stewart embraces what he was trained to reject — and so should we
Salon
Salon
Robert De Niro's canine secret leaves Wag the Dog co-star Woody Harrelson shocked
Woody Harrelson revealed his surprise at discovering that his Wag the Dog co-star Robert De Niro owns 18 dogs, two of which starred alongside him in his movie The Alto Knights.
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play