Donald Rose was born in Westcott, Surrey, England, on 24 December 1914. At some point, he married Jeannette, with whom he had a son, David. He worked into his early 70s, holding various jobs as a laborer, including roles with the gas board, as a lorry driver, and as a bin man. He lived in Westcott with his wife until her passing, after which he relocated to Derbyshire in 2000. They were married for 55 years.
At the age of 25, in 1939, he enlisted in the British Army and joined the Queen’s Royal Regiment, stationed in Guildford with the 7th Armoured Brigade. He served on the front lines of World War II as a member of the Eighth Army, famously known as the ‘Desert Rats.’ His service spanned Africa, where he contributed to key campaigns, and extended to the liberation of Italy and France. Trained as a sniper, he served in North Africa, Italy, France, Normandy, Belgium, Holland, and Germany. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest honor, after the war.
When asked about the secret of his longevity, he replied: “Everyone asks this – there’s no secret.” In 2020, he moved into a care home. On his 108th birthday, he received 160 birthday cards from strangers after the Royal British Legion launched an appeal on their Facebook page. On 5 December 2024, just before his 110th birthday, he was one of 200 veterans and their guests invited to a Christmas reception at St James’s Palace, hosted by Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester. As of his 110th birthday, besides his son, he also had one grandchild and three great-grandchildren.
On 25 November 2024, he became the oldest validated living man in the United Kingdom following the passing of 112-year-old John Tinniswood. However, he may have assumed the title two days later, on 27 November, after the passing of Haji Ghulam Mohammed, but his age has not been validated.
* “World War II Desert Rats veteran is ‘overwhelmed’ after getting 160 cards from total strangers for his 108th birthday following Royal British Legion appeal” – Daily Mail, 10 January 2023
* “Erewash: War veteran aged 108 to receive Armistice Day visit” – BBC.com, 11 November 2023
* “Oldest WW2 hero Donald Rose, 109, to get Spitfire salute” – InYourArea, 30 April 2024
* “UK’s oldest man celebrates 110th birthday on Christmas Eve” – Yahoo News, 23 December 2024
* “Britain’s oldest man celebrates 110th birthday on Christmas Eve with wartime party” – SurreyLive, 24 December 2024
* “UK’s oldest man and war veteran celebrates his 110th birthday” – Derby Telegraph, 24 December 2024