RAF veteran Fred Jennings survied Nazi bomb and is still volunteering with Ulster Aviation Museum in Lisburn at 100 years of age

A special reception for Fred Jennings was held at the Ulster Aviation Museum in Lisburn on Saturday for his 100th birthday, accompanied by a fly over by a RAF A400 Atlas and and a visit by an Irish Coast Guard S-92 helicopter.

The event was attended by Deputy Lord Lieutenant Prof Mark Taylor, Mayor of Lisburn Kurtis Dickson, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and Lagan Valley MP Sorcha Eastwood.

Fred began his career with the RAF No. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron, installing radar systems into B-25 Mitchel aircraft.

In 2020 he was awarded with the Thank You Liberators 1945 Remembrance Medal by the Netherlands Defence Attaché to the UK, Captain G.H (Gerrit) Nijenhuis, who travelled to Northern Ireland to present the award in person, in spite of the Covid risk.

At one point in January,1945, a German air raid pulverized Fred’s squadron’s base in Belgium. He dove for cover and once the smoke and dust cleared he found his headset nearby, “blown to smithereens,” he said, by a cannon shell.

Postwar, he extended his training to civilian radar and eventually landed at Nutt’s Corner airport in NI. His career finally took him to nearby Aldergrove airport, where he ran the radio navigation station as senior telecommunications officer.

After the war, Fred moved to Northern Ireland where he was instrumental in setting up the modern instrument landing systems at what is now Belfast International Airport.

At 100, Fred still drives twice a week to the Ulster Aviation Museum in Lisburn, to volunteer.

Chairman Ray Burrows MBE said: “He’s an outstanding example of living history. And he’s been an outstanding member of our organisation for more than 20 years.”

“He is amazing. Up until very recently he was one of our most active members, putting together an aviation library second to none and establishing a specialised radio collection as well. He was to be seen at our hangars more often than most of our volunteers. He has a very special place in our hearts."