World War Two veteran Edgar Dacre celebrates turning 100

The party to celebrate the 100th birthday of Edgar Dacre was held at the Millom Court housing association in Arnside.

Family and friends came from Kendal, Silverdale, Carnforth, Milnthorpe, Manchester and some from as far afield as South Africa.

Edgar with family members. (Image: Peter Dacre)

There were three birthday cakes, all of them in the form of 100 decorated with significant pictures, models, emblems and flags from Edgar's life.

The first one had pictures related to his airforce days including his squadron insignia and pictures of him in uniform.

The second cake was about his time in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, with decorative elements such as the flag his favorite beer and the logo of the national airline where he worked for 27 years. 

The third and final cake was dedicated to his return to Arnside including a picture of a local pub, a Union Jack, a signpost to Arnside and some icing sugar replicas of his African violets - the real flowers he has been able to cultivate in a few pots in his room at Millom Court. 

Edgar Dacre with his family. (Image: Peter Dacre)

His son Peter Dacre said: "My father enjoyed his party especially seeing family and long time friends, some of whom he has not seen for many years.  He was particularly pleased to see the video greetings from his sons' friends and the neighborhood kids from 50 years ago.

"Greetings came from far and wide and he was very happy to receive a card from HRH King Charles", he added.

Edgar Dacre was born on January 15 1923 in Cartmel.

Most of his early life was spent in Arnside before joining the Royal Air Force (RAF) at the age of 16 in 1939 as an apprentice.

Edgar with family members. (Image: Peter Dacre)

Two years after he was assigned to aircraft maintenance and departed for an air school in Bloemfontein, South Africa, on the SS Mataroa, a 12,341-ton ocean liner.

It is in the same year where he would meet his future wife Velma Byrnes.

After the war he moved to Rhodesia in 1958 to join the national airline Central African Airways where he would spend his remaining working life until he retired in the mid 1980s at the age of 65. 

In 2001 his wife passed away and four years later he decided to return to his home town of Arnside.

He has two married sons, two grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.