Wakefield World War Two RAF veteran celebrates 100th birthday

Frederick ‘Fred’ Lamprey was born in Ackworth to parents Albert and Emily, and had an older sister Joyce.

His early home life was busy, with Fred and Joyce often helping their mother with the laundry, cooking and cleaning whilst Albert and brothers, Ted and Ernest, were at work in their nursery in High Ackworth.

Mr Lamprey joined the RAF in 1941, aged 19. As part of the Commonwealth Air Training Scheme, he was stationed in Canada where the fine weather and location meant training could be completed more quickly.

He learned to fly Fairchild Cornells, having previously flown Tiger Moths in the UK and then graduated onto the larger Cessna Crane, and finally the Short Sunderland II as part of Coastal Command.

As the war drew to a close, he was posted to Scotland, where he flew various missions designed to help facilitate the end of the conflict including flights to Northern Ireland and Carlisle.

Mr Lamprey speaks not fondly of war-time, but with clarity. He said: “I flew in the Tiger Moth, it was open and not enclosed. I was okay with it but it was scary. I was shipped off to New York and then trained in Canada.”

After five years in the military, Mr Lamprey was demobbed from the RAF in November 1946.

Returning to Ackworth, he was welcomed back to B&S Buses, where he briefly worked before being called up. He found civilian life strange at first, but he worked hard and was soon promoted to foreman.

On July 28 1951, Mr Lamprey married his wife of over five decades, nursery nurse Betty, at St Mary’s Church, Badsworth.

He knew Betty from when they were children, with her family moving into the same row of terraced houses as the Lamprey family when she was seven.

They held their wedding reception at the Upton Arms – where Mr Lamprey is still known to enjoy half a John Smith’s on occasion – and honeymooned on the North Yorkshire Coast.

The couple moved to St Bernard’s Avenue, Pontefract, where they set about extensive renovations.

It wasn’t long before Mrs Lamprey fell pregnant with their only child, Denise, who was born at Walton Park in 1953.

After owning a fish and chip shop for a number of years and setting up his own business fixing Hoover cleaners, Mr Lamprey retired at the age of 65 in 1987.

The couple lived a full and busy life and doted on their grandson, Robert, who was born in the same year as Mr Lamprey’s retirement.

Mrs Lamprey sadly passed away in 2007.

To celebrate his 91st birthday, he returned to the sky for a flight in his beloved Tiger Moth at Netherthorpe, Worksop. He marked his 100th milestone last month with a family party – and feet firmly on the ground.

Today the centenarian remains at the bungalow in Upton he and Betty designed and built in 1958, where he is cared for by Denise.

When asked about the secret of living to 100, Mr Lamprey said: “I don’t know, my father was 94 when he passed away and my mum was 93.”

He remains a wonderful example to Denise, Robert and his four nieces and nephews.