Card plea for Barnsley war veteran's 100th birthday

Bert Vincent with his Legion D'Honneur, the highest decoration in France, where he took part in the D-Day Landings

An appeal is being made for birthday cards to be sent to a care home for a war veteran's 100th birthday.

Bert Vincent celebrates on 24 May and staff at Eboracum House in Barnsley are concerned the lockdown will curtail the event.

Mr Vincent can only see his family through the garden gate and staff are also concerned his card from the Queen will not arrive in time.

They have issued an appeal for people to send him a card if they can.

Manager Louise Nelson said Mr Vincent, a holder of the Legion D'Honneur medal for his part in the Second World War, was "a gentleman" and a much-loved figure at the home.

Artist Neil Richardson recreated a portrait of Bert and Lilian Vincent, a picture Mr Vincent carried with him throughout his time in the war.

Mr Vincent's daughter, Christine Brailsford, said they were making the appeal for cards as they could not be sure his card from the Queen would arrive in time, due to the coronavrius pandemic.

She said her father grew up in Somerset but had moved to Cudworth, Barnsley, when serving with the West Somerset Yeomanry.

There he met wife his Lilian, and, despite leaving to serve in France, where he took part in D-Day Landings, he remained in the South Yorkshire town.

Bert Vincent can currently only see his family through the garden gate

Whilst fighting at the Battle for Hill 112, Mr Vincent's tank took a hit from a missile. He was the only survivor, she said.

After hearing about the appeal, and as an early birthday present, artist Neil Richardson painted a portrait of an old photo of Mr Vincent and his wife, a photo he carried with him throughout the war, his daughter said.

"He was dumbfounded when he was presented with it," she said.

Mr Vincent, who worked as a lorry driver after the war, moved into the care home last year and, at the moment, his family, of two children, three grandchildren and six great grandchildren, cannot visit.

"We had been going to celebrate with a party," Ms Nelson said. "But if we can get lots of cards instead, that would be brilliant."

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