War veteran Wilf is oldest on Honours list at 99
AT 99, Second World War veteran Wilf Oldham is the oldest person to be recognised in the 2020 New Year Honours list.
Born in Salford, Mr Oldham was made an MBE for services to commemorations and UK/Dutch relations in the Diplomatic Service and Overseas list.
He spoke of his pride and surprise at the honour.
“I’m a very humble man and I feel very proud because obviously somebody recommended me or put my name forward,” said Mr Oldham, who lives in Radcliffe, near Bury.
“I must say I feel very proud that somebody’s gone to this trouble.
“I was very surprised, of course, because it’s the last thing I ever expected.”
The honour means both the oldest and youngest people on the New Year Honours list are from Greater Manchester.
Schoolboy Ibrahim Yousaf, 13, known as ‘Ibby’, has raised thousands of pounds for 11 different charities in his home town of Oldham and was recognised for his selflessness with a British Empire Medal.
Mr Oldham took part in the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944, part of Operation Market Garden, which was depicted in Richard Attenborough’s epic 1977 Hollywood film A Bridge Too Far.
It saw 35,000 British, American and Polish troops parachute or glide behind German lines in the occupied Netherlands in a bid to open up an attack route for Allied forces by seizing bridges.
The subsequent fighting around Arnhem saw more than 1,500 Commonwealth soldiers killed, nearly 6,500 captured and five Victoria Crosses awarded.
Mr Oldham, who joined airborne forces serving with 12 Platoon, B Company of the 1st Battalion, The Border Regiment (Airborne), was one of the few who successfully escaped across the River Rhine at the end of the battle.
He said he did not return to the country for 45 years, but has since gone on the annual pilgrimage to Arnhem, where he stays with the same family, apart from this year when he was too ill to attend the 75th anniversary commemorations.
“I was extremely disappointed,” he said. “It was a terrible blow to me.”
But he said his MBE, which he credits to his work speaking to groups, including schoolchildren, about the battle ‘more than makes up for that’.
“I think it’s because of keeping the cohesion between England and the Netherlands,” he said.
“I must admit I don’t know whether I was shocked or surprised because that was the last thing I ever expected from anything to do with the war.
“It came as a great surprise.” The second youngest of seven children, Mr Oldham, a sergeant during the war, was born in August, 1920.
He also served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy.