City celebrates 100-year-old D-Day veteran

A 100-year-old D-Day veteran has been celebrated by his local council at a civic reception where the mayor spoke of her pride in him.

Bill Redston, from Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, who joined the Royal Navy when he was 18, was the guest of honour at the reception.

Former Wolves player John Richards, once the club's leading goalscorer, was also at the event.

He gave Mr Redston, a Wolves fan, a book with the signatures of several Wolves' players.

Mr Redston told the BBC he was honoured to be recognised and it was the first time in his life he had met a mayor.

"[It's] really, really, really [the] top place indeed in my life," he said.

Mr Redston added the event he was most proud of in his life was his involvement in D-Day which he called "the top occasion" having spent four years in the navy during World War Two.

He had been due to guide US soldiers on to Utah Beach during the landings but the Americans wanted their own ship to lead them in and Mr Redston's crew was instead tasked with bringing barges over the Channel.

They later found out the replacement ship had been sunk with its crew suffering many casualties.

After D-Day, Mr Redston and his comrades were sent to patrol in Burma in the same motor boat until the end of the war when Japanese forces surrendered.

"So all in all in my eyes I had a very interesting dealing both with Europe and the Far East," he said.

When the war ended, he went on to work for Wolverhampton-based Tarmac for 27 years, mainly on the construction of motorways.

"I see Wolverhampton really as my whole base really, all my life," he said.

The mayor of the city, councillor Linda Leach, met Mr Redston at the civic reception and said he set a great example for everyone in the area.

"It means a great lot to this city and it just demonstrates to the young people what he's done and why we're here today," Ms Leach said.

"He's special because he's a D-Day veteran and there are very few left now.

"He fought for our country which should always be recognised and how remarkable is he that, at 100 years of age, he's still here with us fit and healthy with lots of stories to tell.

"Bill we're really proud of you, it's been absolutely fantastic to have you today. Good luck and stay healthy and well!"

One of the topics of conversation at the reception was Mr Redstone's good health, having reached his three-figure milestone.

The 100-year-old said being fit and well had been "one of the primary things" in his life since joining the navy.

He went on to run the London Marathon aged 65 and the New York Marathon at 66.

"I've tried to keep an eye on my health as much as anything," he said.

"I would advise anyone who is approaching the time of life when normally you sit down and have an easy time to bear in mind that you need to keep fit and well and do the right things if you can, otherwise you just fade away really."

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