Donald Rose

BIOGRAPHY

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.

RECOGNITION

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.

His age was verified by Dr. Andrew Holmes and Chris Law, and validated by the European Supercentenarian Organisation (ESO) on 28 December 2024. The validation was recognized by LongeviQuest on 3 January 2025.