(This is written by a Care Worker who assists the writing down of the Story of the 99 Year old man.)

“Born in the year 1911, UK, I have had quite a lot of exciting stuff happening in my life, the main and most significant being world war one and two. I was only 3 years young when world war one began, hidden in an underground shelter in my back garden with my family, so i was told. I even had my birthday in this underground shelter. For years my family suffered from world war one, their house was destroyed and the whole neighbourhood helped build up my familie’s life from nothing. My childhood was probably one of the worst you could imagin, world war one started in 1914 and ended in the late 1918. I was 7 when world war two finished, but you certainly could see the results of the war in my neighbourhood, houses destroyed, low on food, no electricity. We were only allowed to buy a limited amount of sweets, food, water. Everybody suffered so i’m not alone on this.

After the world war and when i reached the age of 12, i got my first job, working on a farm, feeding the animals and earning money to help my family survive. We had a party to celebrate the end of it, my whole town was hysterical, surrounding the town square and dancing with alcohol. 

i started to train to become a soldier, training every day, weight lifting and running up and down steep hills. I broke a couple of bones in my left leg just training for the army, what would it actually be like if i was in the army? would i be a wreck? my life was extraordinary in its own self. 

i was straight in there, i was trained to be a pilot and battled against the Germans to beat them down. Battled hours on end shooting at ground troops and the enemies planes, one day, i failed and my left wing was hit by accident by my own sides plane. i went down. This was the end of me being in the middle of the war, after all the training i’ve done to become a pilot, and the start of a horrible life.

Luckily, and this being a miracle, i survived as german troops came in to get my out the wreck. the reason why i survived was, because when we were fighting in mid air,  we werent too high up for my plane to get completely crushed and killing me. I lost my left leg, my left arm and i have several scars all over my body. 

I now use a wheel chair, and since the accident i need 24 hour care. I need help to go to the toilet, and need assistance with eating. As much as this accident has technically ruined my life, the carers in my care home make it as good as they can, and i thank every single one of them for giving me the most independence and dignity as they can.

(There is a longer version, it will be expanded in a couple of weeks time.)