Two honourable D-Day veterans who live in Salford are celebrating their 100th birthdays this month.
Peter Belcher marked his milestone birthday with a party at Broughton House Care Veteran Village attended by his relatives and other residents. Other guests included Blackley and Broughton MP Graham Stringer and Coun Gina Reynolds, the ceremonial mayor of Salford.
Peter also received the traditional 100th birthday greeting from the King.
Peter, who turned 100 on December 9, was enlisted as a paratrooper in the Airborne Regiment, 4th Battalion Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. He fought throughout the Second World War and served a total of 12 years before being demobbed in 1949.
Peter served in 17 countries and has been awarded six military medals, including the illustrious Legion d’Honneur.
By D-Day, Peter was part of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire 1st Airborne D Company, whose job was a crucial mission to land Horsa gliders as part of Operation Deadstick, to capture Pegasus Bridge to provide protection for soldiers arriving on the Normandy beaches.
Peter and his comrades succeeded in just 10 minutes, soon after midnight, and six hours before the beach landings. Peter managed to take down two enemy tanks using an anti-tank gun after landing his glider. The tactical advantage of the bridge ensured that the eastern flank of Sword Beach in Normandy was protected.
The capture of Pegasus Bridge was later which was then featured in the well-known US war film The Longest Day.
Following that battle, Peter was then deployed to the Belgian town of Bastogne to help with the Battle of the Bulge.
Peter was the the youngest of 12 children and was born in Wantage but moved to Manchester after leaving the army.
He was married for 55 years to Annie, who sadly passed way in 2002. The couple had one son, David, who attended his father’s party along with other relatives including Peter’s granddaughters and nieces.
Broughton House trustee, Peter Curtis, said: “When one thinks of dramatic actions and incidents throughout the Second World War, there are not many that surpass the extraordinary operation to capture Pegasus Bridge.
“We owe Peter and all of his comrades so much.”
The other Broughton House centenarian is David Teacher, who is yet to celebrate his birthday on Friday December 29.
At 18-years-old David joined the RAF and served in World War II from 1942-45.
He served as a mechanic in an RAF Beach Unit, which was among the first to land on Juno Beach in Normandy on D-Day in 1944. His job was to repair vehicles.
After living for three months on the beach in a trench, his unit moved to fight in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium and was involved in relieving US troops besieged in Bastogne in December 1944.
David is a former vice-chairman of the Bolton and District Normandy Veterans Association and a former chairman of the Manchester Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women. In 2012, David, a double amputee, was awarded an MBE for his charitable work. David is a widower who was married to Nancy for more than 70 years.
Karen Miller, chief executive of Broughton House, said: “It is my absolute privilege to be giving David heartfelt birthday wishes from the whole team at Broughton House as he becomes a centenarian. David really is an inspiration to us all.
“Having served his country so courageously during the war, David has continued to dedicate his life to serve others, not only through his charitable work but also by sharing with the younger generation the values of friendship, duty and service.”
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