The only Chelsea Pensioner to serve in both the army and the RAF turned 100 on Wednesday (February 18).
Peter Carrie, the Royal Hospital Chelsea’s oldest resident, defied the odds by reaching a century after several brushes with death during his time in the armed forces.
He celebrated with his family in his native Scotland, where he was born in Dundee, in 1915.
The Second World War veteran is also the only Chelsea Pensioner eligible for the Bomber Command clasp, the award for aircrew in recognition of their bravery and service during the war which has been available since 2013.
Mr Carrie joined the army in 1934 at the age of 19 and saw active service in the Khyber Pass, on the north west frontier, before the Second World War broke out. He fought in France at the start of the war before being badly wounded and evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940.
Because of his injuries he could not continue in the army but joined the RAF’s Bomber Command in 1942 and served with them until he was demobbed in 1946.
During his time with the RAF he served with the 75 (New Zealand) Squadron, surviving bomber missions against the Nazis, including in both Hamburg and Wesel.
The squadron flew more missions than any other allied heavy bomber squadron and suffered the second highest casualties of any allied squadron, with 55,000 aircrew dying out of 125,000 - a death toll of 45%.
Mr Carrie now lives at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, near Sloane Square, with 299 other ex-army servicemen and woman over the age of 65.
