Britain's oldest D-Day veteran in Derby care home in for a surprise

Amidst all the coverage and hype of the 80th Anniversary of D-Day last week, 109-year-old Donald Rose sat alone, forgotten in his care home in Erewash, Derby.

Uninvited to any national D-Day events despite his pivotal role on the Normandy beaches and his incredible age of 109, Desert Rat veteran Donald Rose felt forgotten.

When performers from the charity The Not Forgotten came to visit and spent time chatting to him, Donald revealed that one of his ‘bucket list’ experiences never ticked off was to watch a performance of a full brass band.

The Not Forgotten put out an appeal and this Sunday 16th June the Hucknall & Linby Mining Community Brass Band will arrive at Donald’s care home to put on a surprise personal performance for him and his fellow residents, to ensure he feels recognised and cared about.

109-year-old is Britain’s oldest D-Day veteran

Donald Rose, at an astonishing 109 years of age, is Britain’s oldest D-Day veteran. As a ‘Desert Rat’ he was one of the first soldiers ashore on the Normandy beaches on 6th June, tasked with lighting the beacons on the beaches which would guide the Allied forces into land. His amazing wartime story has rarely been told but deserves huge recognition and gratitude.

Surviving D-Day and the rest of the war, Donald now lives in the Canal Vue care home in Erewash, Derby, and is lucid, astute and humorous. He attributes his long life to “drinking a lot of salt water in North Africa” and “perhaps rum and chocolate”.

He was saddened to be overlooked during the national D-Day 80th Anniversary commemorations, not invited to any of the national memorial events or spoken to by BBC or ITV despite being mobile and lucid enough to travel and speak engagingly.

To cheer him up, Donald’s carers along with Erewash’s Mayor Kate Fennelly invited veterans’ charity ‘The Not Forgotten’ to come and perform for the residents - a service the charity offers to care homes country-wide to lift spirits and combat isolation and loneliness amongst veterans.

Ensuring Donald no longer feels forgotten

Donald told The Not Forgotten’s Entertainments Officer Annie Riley that he loved music and had enjoyed the concert, but that his real wish was to watch a full brass band. Annie set to work making his dream come true with an appeal on social media, and dozens of brass bands offered to travel to Erewash to play.

This Sunday at 11am the Hucknall & Linby Mining Community Brass Band will arrive at Canal Vue Care Home as a complete surprise to Donald. Granting him one of his remaining items on his bucket list and ensuring he no longer feels forgotten.

Mayor of Erewash Kate Fennelly said on social media: “Donald is our local hero and he deserves recognition for his service… The Not Forgotten are a fantastic charity who visit or take veterans to shows around the UK. They work tirelessly every year fundraising to make it all happen. I have been involved with them for many years and seen their work first hand and the fantastic things they do.”

Annie Riley, Entertainments Officer at The Not Forgotten, said:“We can never thank our veterans enough for their sacrifices, so it’s a small price to pay to ensure they are Not Forgotten! Donald is a lovely man and deserves his wish to come true. What a wonderful world we live in that we can all pull together and make this happen for our War Hero”.

The Not Forgotten

The Not Forgotten is a 104-year-old charitywhich supports over 10,000 injured veterans and serving personnel each year. Through a year-round events programme of music events, days out, respite breaks, sporting fixtures, challenge events, and concerts in care homes around the UK, the charity works to combat isolation and loneliness amongst veterans and promote a sense of community and camaraderie. Ensuring that no veteran ever feels forgotten and knows their service is remembered and valued. www.thenotforgotten.org