A FORMER Mayor of Winchester has celebrated his 100th birthday.

Major Douglas F. Covill MBE, DCM, is reached the milestone on Saturday.

Dougie, as he is known by his friends, moved with his family to West Sussex in 2001. He is now in a care home in reasonably good health, say friends. His only regret is, in his own words: “it is not a good year to be 100”.

He represented Alresford for the Conservatives on the city council in the 1980s and 90s, retiring in 1996, and lived at Ladycroft.

It is not known if he is the first mayor to reach the unique milestone.

Dougie was born in Croydon and joined the Army somewhat under age in 1937. His regiment, the 10th Royal Hussars (PWO), had recently returned to Tidworth from a tour in India and due to his small stature he was nicknamed ‘Chota’.

The 10th Hussars, part of the 1st Armoured Division, were sent to Normandy in late May 1940 in an attempt to support France but they were heavily outgunned by German forces and after fierce fighting near the Somme the regiment withdrew from Brest on June 19.

In late 1941 the 10th Hussars sailed via the Cape to North Africa. Dougie was by now a tank troop sergeant and in this front line role he fought in all the 8th Army’s battles in the Western Desert, Libya, Tunisia and Italy from then until the end of the war in May 1945. He was wounded twice and mentioned in despatches. In 1945 he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for conspicuous bravery.

The regiment moved first to Austria and then to Lubeck on the Baltic coast of Germany. Dougie met a German girl, Inge Jeske. They married in 1947 and subsequently had two daughters. In 1959 he was commissioned as a Quartermaster in the 10th Royal Hussars.

Dougie retired from the Army in 1970.

He played an active role in the affairs of the county and beyond, as a leading Freemason in England and Germany, chairman of the Distinguished Conduct Medalist’s League and county president of the Royal British Legion.

He was Conservative Member for Alresford on Winchester City Council for several years and he was elected to be the 990th Mayor of the Winchester in 1988.

Inge died in 2013 but Dougie takes pleasure in seeing his daughters and their husbands, three grandchildren and two great grandchildren.