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Happy 100th birthday to Phil - Stratford’s D-Day veteran




IT was an unforgettable occasion when Stratford D-Day veteran, Phil Sweet, celebrated his 100th birthday at the town hall with his family and invited guests.

As is customary for 100th celebrations, Phil received a congratulatory birthday card from the King and Queen and he was also presented with a special birthday cake decorated to make the number 100 in Royal Navy blue colours.

D-Day veteran Philip Sweet had a 100th birthday party thrown in his honour at Stratford Town Hall last Friday, Cllr Jason Fojtik, Mayor of Stratford, Tim Cox, Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, being pictured with his daughter Ros Foster and granddaughters Becky Hayes and Francesca Martin-Sweet at the celebration. Photo: Mark Williamson
D-Day veteran Philip Sweet had a 100th birthday party thrown in his honour at Stratford Town Hall last Friday, Cllr Jason Fojtik, Mayor of Stratford, Tim Cox, Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, being pictured with his daughter Ros Foster and granddaughters Becky Hayes and Francesca Martin-Sweet at the celebration. Photo: Mark Williamson

Phil, who is a resident of one of the Municipal Charities Almshouses in Stratford was involved in the D-Day landings on 6th June 1944 and his father took part in the Gallipoli campaign in the First World War.

Last Friday, Municipal Charities along with other organisations and family arranged the birthday party at the town hall which was kindly provided by Stratford Town Council.

Phil’s family was joined by Almshouse residents, trustees and staff of Municipal Charities and members of the Stratford United Reformed Church to celebrate his 100th Birthday party. The Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire Tim Cox and the deputy lieutenant Simon Miesegaes attended the event along with the Mayor of Stratford, Cllr Jason Fojtik.

Mayor Fojtik said: “It was such a lovely event and it felt like Stratford came together to celebrate someone as special as Phil who is amazing. I still have to pinch myself because it feels like Phil is a part of history and still with us. It’s incredible when you think about his life experience during D-Day where he put his country before anything else so it was an absolute privilege to be there with him and all the guests. I’m in awe of him and what that generation did. They were just kids and you can’t believe what they went through but as a teenager you take on what’s coming at you. Phil also has a strong projection of his voice and is so eloquent which is fabulous at the age of 100. I honestly think the birthday party was the highlight of my year.”

Phil recalls the following about his war time experience:

“I was sent to a place called Lochailort in the Highlands where I did six weeks of hefty nautical and ability training. Those six weeks were the toughest I have experienced in my life both physically and mentally. At the end of each week you had exams and if you were not good enough you would be dropped. But I lasted and was appointed an officer then sent to Troon for officer training for another six weeks and then appointed to a tank landing craft ready for the D-Day landings.

The war had been going for quite a considerable period of time for my training was in readiness for the D-Day landings the time of which we did not know then.

I was part of the initial wave that landed at the village of La Rivière as part of the Gold Beach landings. I was in a flotilla which were the first to go into the beach with two tanks on top of each other on the landing craft so that they could bombard the beach with shells as they were coming in to land. We didn't lose anybody that day although the landing craft was damaged by the underwater objects as we were going in.

Then following the landing we were offloading equipment to the beaches and whilst doing so I had to go to the tented hospital at Bayeux with suspected peritonitis which turned out to be appendicitis.

I was sent to Plymouth to HMS Foliot, running all the movement of landing craft. We were tropicalizing (adding refrigeration and air conditioning) landing craft ready for the Far East but of course that collapsed because they dropped the atomic bomb.”

The Lord lieutenant presented Phil with a 100th birthday card signed by the King and Queen. Inside the card it read: “We are so pleased to know that you are celebrating your one hundredth birthday on 25th October 2024. This brings our warmest congratulations and heartfelt good wishes on such a special occasion”

The High Sheriff of Warwickshire Mrs Rajvinder Kaur Gill sent her greetings: “Wishing Phil a wonderful 100th birthday celebration.” Stratford MP Manuela Perteghella said: “I hope Phil has a wonderful time.”

The chair of municipal charities Andy Smith said: “Phil has been one of our residents for over 21 years and we are delighted to be able to join with his family and Stratford Town Council to celebrate Phil’s 100th birthday.”

The mayor presented a gift on behalf of the town council.

Mick Love - the president of Municipal Charities - presented Phil with a bottle of rum as a gift from the charity. This was followed by the cutting of the birthday cake which was provided by his grandchildren.

Reflecting on his special birthday party Phil Sweet said: “It was an extremely lovely day and I was looked after very well. I had a birthday card from the King and Queen and a big birthday cake and I’m still eating it. All the family later went to the Encore for sandwiches which was very nice. I still remember D-Day and if something comes up on television about the war or the Royal Navy I will watch the programme and reminisce.”




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