Winchester man who served in D-Day celebrates 100th birthday

James Nairne turned 100 on Thursday, December 7. He was born in Belfast, and is the younger brother of Sir Patrick Nairne, who died in 2013.

He was born in Belfast, where he spent six years before his family moved to Scotland. He spent much of his childhood travelling to different parts of the UK, including Milford-on-Sea and Devizes, where he received a preparatory  school education.

James Nairne (Image: Chris Atkinson)READ MORE: Great-grandmother marks her 100th birthday the same day her great grandson turned one

He joined the army in 1944, where he served as part of the Seaforth Highlanders, alongside his brother and father who were already established members.

He would later serve in the D-Day landings in Normandy. He said: “It was all kept very secret, but everyone knew we would be invading Normandy. I think even the Germans suspected it on some level.

“Training for it was quite intensive. We had to run up and down hills while carrying rifles and equipment and in large platoons to prepare, all while we were being shouted at by our instructors!

“The actual landings weren’t too bad. We had quite a few casualties, but it was mainly people who were wounded – we didn’t have that many deaths as I recall.”

James also served in Aden and Malaya during the war.

Following World War Two, James served as a Royal Messenger until 1988. During this time, he delivered important documents to British embassies, high commissions, and consulates around the world, flying on Concorde twice.

James as a young man in uniform (Image: Chris Atkinson)SEE ALSO: Winchester school publishes cookbook of recipes from pupils' families

He left the position in 1988 and has lived in Winchester for the past 45 years. He has never married and has no children.

James celebrated his birthday with his family, including several nephews and nieces. He also enjoyed a special performance by the choir at Winchester Cathedral, where he was a linesman for 20 years.

When asked what has changed the most throughout his life, James said: “Oh, everything has become far more mechanised and joined up!

“I don’t have any secrets for getting to 100, although I am happy to be here.”