Plymouth war hero celebrates 106th birthday
A war hero from Plymouth has celebrated his 106th birthday, making him one of the city's oldest residents.
Frederick Vinecombe served in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a flight sergeant during the Second World War.
The great-granddad was shot down over France during his six-and-a-half years in theair force and captured as a prisoner of war.
He was taken to Buchenwald Concentration Camp as a prisoner-of-war. When he returned to the UK, he weighed just six-stone.
He has even been involved in the Dambusters Raid, which was instrumental in the allies winning the Second World War, and now he's living through another historic moment - the coronavirus pandemic.
Fred, who turned 106 on Wednesday 16 December, still lives independently with a bit of help from staff at Pocklington Rise, an assisted living facility in Plympton.
But his birthday celebrations are drastically different to previous years, due to the Covid-19 restrictions in place.
Up until the pandemic began, Fred was still going to the shops with his daughter, Denise.
Denise said her dad is "extremely well" and event claimed he "feels 25".
Fred credits his long life to his job as a tax collector for keeping him active, "keeping out of trouble" and eating a healthy diet.
Thankfully, due to Fred living alone, Denise has been able to bubble up with him and visit him since June.
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