Ipswich veteran who met his wife on VE Day turns 100

Douglas Pipe, known affectionately as Doug, marked the milestone on Friday (December 1).

On the day itself, Mr Pipe was visited by Ipswich mayor Lynne Mortimer and received his birthday card from the King to mark the occasion.

Family and friends also celebrated with a separate party on Sunday, December 3.

Born in Ipswich, Mr Pipe was 17 when he joined the Royal Navy and served on HMS Warspite and HMS Sole Bay during World War II.

His service during the war saw him take part in the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944, as well as serving in Italy, Malta, Egypt and Iceland amongst others.

He received many medals for his service including the France and Germany Star, the Atlantic Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal, and the French Légion d'honneur for the D-Day landings, which he received in 2016 at Rock Barracks in Woodbridge.

War veteran Douglas Pipe with Ipswich mayor Lynne Mortimer (Image: Pipe family)

On VE in 1945, Mr Pipe met his future wife Kathleen in a pub in the town, and they went on to marry in 1948 and have two daughters together, Julia and Mary.

The couple were happily married for 66 years before Mrs Pipe sadly died in 2014.

After leaving the navy, he followed a career in carpentry, and has also attended every Remembrance Day Service in Christchurch Park since the war.

His family says he is very independent, but enjoys visits from his four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

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His daughter Julia Scrivener said: “My father is a lovely man, very family-orientated, friendly and gentle, and wouldn’t say a bad word about anybody.

“He lives on his own and is very independent, but we see him a few times a day.

“His birthday was absolutely wonderful. He enjoyed it from start to finish. He enjoyed Friday with the mayor coming to see him.

“On Sunday, we held a party for him in his accommodation, and several of the residents joined the family. He really enjoyed it. He’s still talking about it.

“He has always been there for us, even when had to work seven days a week to make ends meet. If he could do it today, he still would. We had a very happy childhood.”