Captain Jack is 104
He’s the man who told 2000 Nazi POWs their fuhrer was dead
A military intelligence officer tasked with telling Nazi POWs Hitler was dead is the oldest man in South Ayrshire at 104.
To mark the milestone, Captain Jack Oldfield was joined by family and members of his old corps.
Decorated Jack celebrated his birthday at Dundonald House nursing home last Tuesday and revealed there is no secret to such a long, healthy life.
When asked what the trick was he simply replied: “There is none!”
He was joined by his daughter Fiona and her wife Marian .
Fiona said: “My dad is delighted, he’s a little emotional because of all of this, but I know for a fact he’s delighted.”
Even aged more than 100 he would be seen happily walking his Westie Frisky in the woodland surrounding his home in Dunchattan Way, Troon. Cpt. Oldfield was born in Rawmarsh, Yorkshire before moving to work in Darvel. He joined the armed forces in 1939 before being commissioned in January 1943.
He married his sweetheart Gladys at the height of the war in 1942. She sadly died in 1974.
The most memorable battle for the 104- year- old was the fourth assault in the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944. This battle was one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the Italian campaign and he received The Italy Star Medal.
He was posted to 78th British division as an interrogation officer for German prisoners. He has been mentioned in dispatches, which is an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, for the information he gained from allied forces.
After this, he was posted to the then 8th Indian division as an interrogation officer for the British advance to Florence and further into Italy.
After military service he moved to a knitwear mill in Irvine, before shifting to a curtainmakers in Darvel, retiring in 1979.
Jack’s daughter Fiona produced a newspaper clipping from 1945 which detailed how he broke the news of Adolf Hitler’s death to 2000 German prisoners in Northern Italy.
His time served during the Second World War saw him receive medals like the 1939- 1945 Star and the Defence Medal, awarded for both non- operational military and certain types of civilian service.
Last Tuesday he was back on parade in Dundonald thanks to members of the 5 Military Intelligence Battalion ( 5 MI) who had travelled from Edinburgh.
A video they shot of the day has made Jack an internet star after it was posted by the British Army and seen by 200,000 people.