A WWII veteran celebrated his 100th birthday and said the coronavirus pandemic is worse than the war – because at least you knew your enemy.
John “Jack” Boot toasted the milestone birthday with a brandy and credited his long life to having a glass of the liquor every evening.
Born on May 26, 1921, he spent his early years in New Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, where he met childhood sweetheart Margaret when he was 19.
But the couple’s romance was interrupted by World War II, when Jack was called up to the Royal Navy.
He served as a leading supply assistant on board HMS Maidstone, where he worked hard to keep submarines stocked.
And having survived the war, Jack has now seen off a global pandemic and celebrated his 100th birthday with a meal out surrounded by family and friends.
Dad-of-two Jack said: “I’ve had a very happy and peaceful life.
“I eat healthy – I’m fond of fish and I have a tot of brandy at night. I’ve had my two jags now, but I would say this Covid is worse than the war – at least you knew your enemy back then.”
Jack recalled how he was the the most popular man on the HMS Maidstone – dishing out tots of rum to his comrades.
Jack said: “We had protection from about six destroyers so I felt quite safe. There was that time one of the destroyers got torpedoed, though.”
Jack moved from the Mediterranean to Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon, and finished his war service in the Pacific Ocean, spending VE day, May 8, 1945, in Sydney, Australia.
He added: “It was very strange. The war with Japan was still going so no one was celebrating.”
A month-long “cruise” followed back home – with a stopover in Inveraray, Argyll, where he waited to be demobbed – sending money down south for Margaret to buy herself an engagement ring.
The couple married in 1946 and would live and travel together wherever Jack’s work with British Thomson-Houston would take them.
Daughter Elaine came along in 1950 and son Graham arrived shortly after, in 1952.
Jack retired in 1985 at the age of 64 and the couple moved to Scotland, where Graham built a house for his parents next to his own in Redding, Falkirk.
They enjoyed their life together there until Margaret sadly died at the age of 88, on the eve of their 65th anniversary 10 years ago.
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