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John Watson is already 100 years old and John Donovan will be 100 years old on the 8 June. Both have some amazing tales to tell.

Chair of Willingdon and Jevington Parish Council John Pritchett BEM visited both recently to present them with a D-Day 80 Years Medal to commemorate the Anniversary on 6 June this year.

Below is a brief Biography of them both.

JOHN WATSON DFM

Legion of Honour

Flew 77 ops in World War 2

Awarded Pathfinder Badge

D.F.M

WW2 Veteran John Donovan and Chair of Willingdon and Jevington Parish Council John Pritchett BEM

John was a Flight Engineer and Bomb Aimer in the Lancaster Bomber sitting next to the Pilot as part of a crew of 7. He was a Pathfinder in Bomber Command with 12 and 156 Squadrons whose motto was ‘We Guide to Strike’.

John was based at RAF Wickenby between 1942 and 1944 and at RAF Upwood between 1944 and 1945.

JOHN DONOVAN

Born on 8 June, 1924 in Poplar London, John joined the Home Guard aged 16, Catford, London – London 57th, 1940.

John joined the army aged 18 in 1942, Royal West Kent’s then Buffs, 9th Battalion Buffs then RWK. He was sent overseas after basic training in Maidstone, and departed from Seaford in Sussex.

He was part of the 8th Army Italian Campaign, fought in North Africa and then Italy at Monte Cassino. He was injured near Florence, shot through his face losing 1 eye, 2 July 1944. Spent 6 months in hospital in Naples, Italy before returning home and was then posted to Germany in 1945 prior to being demobbed in 1946.

Willingdon is proud to be the home of two amazing WW2 veterans