Royal Navy veteran celebrates 100th birthday

Jack Glover received a birthday message from King Charles and Queen Camilla

A Royal Navy veteran has celebrated his 100th birthday.

Jack Glover, who lives in Plymouth, was part of the Arctic convoys during World War Two.

He was 19 when he was part of the convoys on board HMS Royalist before seeing action in the Mediterranean and the Far East.

His birthday party was attended by friends and family, together with serving officers from the Royal Navy.

He received a 100th birthday card from King Charles and Queen Camilla.

The Arctic convoys are regarded as one of the toughest maritime operations ever mounted.

Their purpose was to supply Soviet Russia in its fight against Nazi Germany, with those on board facing the constant threat of attack and the freezing Arctic weather.

Eighty-five merchant vessels and 16 Royal Navy warships were lost.

Mr Glover's job on board HMS Royalist was to send and receive coded messages.

"I was operating, so I wasn't exposed to the Arctic weather so I had a fairly easy time really," he said.

Jack (second from right) with his crew mates from HMS Royalist

His close friend on board was Alistair MacLean who went on to write, hugely successful adventure stories such as Where Eagles Dare and The Guns of Navarone.

Mr Glover said he saw himself in the novels.

"I identified myself in them and in a lot of what was going on there, as I was with him at the time.

"I was interested, I was part of that story."

At the end of the war, Mr Glover returned to his life as an accountant.

He described serving in the convoys as "a dangerous job and we were all under threat".

"But we were young and more interested in getting to the nearest port, and having a beer," he said.

"Some things don't change in the navy."