D-Day pilot reveals secret to long life after celebrating 102nd birthday

Harry Gamper turned 102 on July 20, eight decades after serving in the RAF during World War II

(Renaissance Care / SWNS)

A D-Day pilot who celebrated his 102nd birthday attributes his long life to a love of fine wine.

Harry Gamper, who turned 102 on July 20, missed his 100th birthday party due to lockdown, but made sure he had double the fun this year.

War hero Harry, who served as an RAF pilot in World War II, won medals for his service in France and Germany including a Battle of Atlantic medal.

During his time in the RAF, Harry completed over 1000 hours of flying time, taking the reins of Warwicks, Wellingtons and Catalina flying boats, and left the air force in 1946.

Father-of-two Harry had an Italian-themed birthday party, in memory of his late wife, Annalisa, who he enjoyed sun-soaked holidays in Italy with.

Harry said: “Life is beautiful, and I’ve always lived it to the full.

“I love art, music, good food and the finest wine.

“All of these things, and the people around you are what matter most in life.

“I looked forward to my Italian feast and maybe a sing-a-long to some traditional Italian music.”

(Renaissance Care / SWNS)

Harry was born in Surrey on July 20 1920.

After leaving the air force, he retrained in advertising holding positions within Unilever, The Morgan Group and disability charity SCOPE, and loved working in Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierra Leone.

He retired with his wife to Dorset in 1983.

Harry moved to a cottage in the village of Straiton, Ayrshire in the late 2000s, where he took up gardening and enjoyed the proximity to the coast.

(Renaissance Care / SWNS)

He now lives in Malin Court, Girvan, Ayrshire. His son David flew in for the party on Wednesday from Montreal, Canada.

Harry said of his D-Day memories: “It was incredible, I’ll never forget it.

“For a whole week before D-Day, nobody was allowed off the aerodrome. So, something big was going to happen.

“The Channel was extraordinary – I think you could have almost walked across the Channel because every boat was going across it.”