Veteran, 100, gets medal thanks to specialist team

Audrey received her medal from a delegation from the Royal Navy in a ceremony at her home in Oxfordshire

A 100-year-old World War Two veteran has received a medal for her service after more than 80 years.

Audrey Farmer was based in Liverpool and helped monitor supply ships coming to the UK that were under threat from U-boats, her service medal was one of 15,000 issued by the MoD Medal Office in Gloucester this year.

The team issue medals to eligible serving personnel, surviving veterans and posthumously for the next of kin of those who have died.

Earlier this year, Mrs Farmer decided to finally ask for her medal: "It wasn't until I got grandkids and I thought, everything's so big about ancestry nowadays, that they might one day be quite proud that I had gotten a medal," she explained.

Audrey's war service medal was presented to her for service during World War Two

When she left in 1945, Mrs Farmer was eligible for a war medal as she had served for at least 28 days, but she never applied.

Martin Shurmer, one of the Medal assessors cross-referenced her application with her service record to make sure she qualified for the award.

"She served in the armed forces between September 1939 and September 1945," he explained.

They used that information along with the criteria for each medal and proved that Mrs Farmer was entitled to the medal.

Audrey helped compile information from local coastguard teams

"It's the recognition that they rightly deserve," explained Gary Pyatt, the officer in charge of the team in Gloucestershire.

Dating back to World War Two there are still many individuals that have not come forward to claim their medals.

"Even in current years there are people who served in the Falklands who have yet to receive their medals. But if they apply to us we will look into their case," he said.

A medal is laser engraved at the MOD Medal Office in Gloucester

Back at her home in Oxfordshire Audrey Farmer was presented with her war medal, 80 years after leaving the WRENS, by a special delegation from the Royal Navy.

"I feel immensely proud," she said.

"I feel so grateful that anybody should think I'm even worthy really. So that's very gratifying and I really am very grateful to you all."

Commodore Tim Green, the Naval regional commander for the East of England and London said: "It's always inspiring to meet our veterans, particularly from the Second World War, and particularly in this year, the 80th anniversary of the end of that war.

They're an amazing generation, utterly inspirational to those of us that still serve.

It was a privilege today to present the War Medal to Audrey on behalf of the King and the nation."