Dagenham WWII Veteran to celebrate 100 birthday on Armistice Day.

As the country prepares itself to remember Armistice Day, a World War II veteran from Dagenham will celebrate his 100 birthday on the very same day.

John King was just 18 years old when he was drafted into the Royal Navy. John was a Gunner on HMS Janus in 1942 when the battleship was struck by a German flying torpedo and sank.

The ship was based in Anzio, Italy, when it was hit and sunk with 160 men losing their life. John was one of 80 survivors and was sent to Naples from there.

John, who is originally from Bethnal Green, returned from the war where he moved to Dagenham and began working as an engineer.

John returned to Italy in 2019 with Ray Boyle, a Member of the Royal British Legion, where together they visited many former war sites and laid poppies and crosses. They also had the chance to meet up with other WWII veterans, where John was the youngest aged 95 years old!

John will celebrate his birthday at a very special party, where his friends and family will come and pay tribute to a man who was an integral part of our history.

Happy Birthday John!

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