"It brought me immense joy": RAF war veteran, 101, 'overwhelmed' after getting 400 birthday cards

A Second World War veteran aged 101 who kept planes in the skies for pilots and crew during the conflict said he was 'overwhelmed' after receiving more than 400 birthday cards.

The vast majority were from complete strangers - and Joe Jervis said the touching gesture 'brought me immense joy'. Well-wishers in their hundreds answered a call to celebrate Joe as he turned 101 earlier this month.

He's lived at Broughton House Veteran Care Village in Salford since April and to mark the birthday milestone, a huge party was thrown in his honour.

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Born in June 1923, widower Joe was raised in south Manchester and left school at 14 to join the Fairey Aviation Company at its factory in Stockport. He was an apprentice airframe fitter when the factory was producing aircraft for service in the Second World War.

In 1944, after an appeal for pilots, Joe and some of his friends enlisted in the RAF. He trained at the Padgate training base in Warrington. As he was already a trained aircraft engineer, Joe underwent a brief introduction to RAF procedures and then served at fighter airfields across the UK, servicing aircraft such as the Spitfire for pilots and crew.

His job was to ensure the airframes and the systems in them were ready for combat and to repair any damage when they flew back from operations. He was demobbed in 1946 and returned to work at Fairey.

The Veterans Food Co, which supported Joe before he moved to Broughton House, set a target of getting 101 cards for him.

But as word spread, Joe was inundated with cards from local schools, the Albion Academy Combined Cadet Force (RAF), social media followers and many others.

Among those attending his party at Broughton House were RAF cadets from the academy, Wing Commander David Archibald, commanding officer of the Greater Manchester Wing of the Air Training Corps, standard bearers from the Stockport Armed Forces Community Organisation and other veterans, together with his friends.

Joe said: "I was overwhelmed to receive so many cards and that so many guests came to the party. It brought me immense joy to see that so many people care. I didn't think people would remember – it truly made my day."

Wing Commander David Archibald said: "It was an inspirational and very happy event, and it was great to see Joe and the other veterans in such fine spirits."

Jane Green, director of care at Broughton House, said: "Joe only moved in a couple of months ago but he has rapidly endeared himself and has become a popular resident at our care village.

"We were delighted to host the party in honour of his 101st birthday and it was lovely to see him so happy, celebrating with his friends and representatives from the RAF and veterans' organisations, along with residents and staff.

“We set ourselves a target of getting 101 cards for him but ended up with over 400, which was a fantastic achievement."

Broughton House has cared for more than 8,000 veterans since it opened its doors to the ex-service community in 1916.