A WAR veteran from Glazebrook, who fought for his country in the Second World War, celebrated his 100th birthday on Sunday surrounded by friends and family.

Charles Cameron, of Glazebrook Lane, spent three years stationed in the Far East as part of the Royal Engineers - moving to Burma one week after he married his wife, Dorothy, on February 6, 1943.

The couple first met while they were working at Heswall District Council on the Wirral and were married at Heswall Methodist Church while he had one week of leave from the Royal Engineers.

The 100-year-old trained for the army in Clitheroe after signing up, aged 27, having previously worked as a charted surveyor.

He was posted to the Far East in February, 1943, and despite suffering from malaria on numerous occasions, Charles was part of the first wave of men to be sent to Japan before returning home in 1946.

Charles, who was born on June 15, 1914 in the Isle of Man, has three children, Richard and Martin, aged 62, and Robert, aged 66, and five grandchildren.

The former serviceman, who counts his interests as sport, oil painting and gardening, denied that there was a secret to living a long and healthy life, adding that it’s just about keeping active and enjoying it.