The smile says it all: a very happy birthday indeed.
Arctic convoy and D-Day veteran Dougie Shelley celebrates turning 100 surrounded by naval memorabilia and joined by Carol Pendrigh from the Southend branch of the Royal Naval Association, whose efforts helped ensure the big day was marked in a big way.
Dougie joined the Senior Service aged 17, serving as a seaman gunner, and took part in some of the most critical moments of the war, including the Arctic convoys and D-Day.
As one of the last surviving veterans of WW2, Carol and shipmates were determined to see Dougie receive at least one card for every day of his life – and put out an appeal to the Southend community.
Among those responding, staff from the town’s Card Factory store who not only organised a card… but a bespoke one in Royal Navy colours, personalised with Dougie’s name and signed by the whole team, produced by the firm’s in-house design team.
And for good measure they decorated their High Street store window with a large “Happy 100th Dougie” message, and gifted balloons and decorations for his birthday party at Southend’s RNA HQ.
The shop’s efforts helped the association hit their 100-card target. In fact, Dougie received 15,000 missives to mark his milestone, including cards from Buckingham Palace and No.10 Downing Street.
All of which rather overwhelmed the former gunner, who said told everyone: “I don’t know what all the fuss is about: I’m only 100, not 200…”
The entire RNA building was decorated with cards as shipmates pulled out all the stops for one of their own (poor health has meant Dougie hasn’t been to meetings as often as he would like in recent years).
“His service means so much, and we wanted to ensure his 100th birthday was one he would never forget,” said Carol.
“Dougie is not just a veteran, he’s an Arctic convoy sailor and D-Day veteran, a true local hero.
“The support from Card Factory and the public has been incredible – it really shows how much people still care about honouring our veterans.”
Andy Thornburrow, Card Factory’s regional manager, added: “Dougie’s story has touched all of us here in Southend. It’s been a joy for the team to be a part of Dougie’s birthday and see the community come together to celebrate a truly inspiring man.”