Veteran and Oldbury resident Lionel Richardson finally celebrated his 100th birthday after having his party postponed due to the state’s snap lockdown and subsequent COVID-19 restrictions in recent weeks.
Mr Richardson had a big celebration on May 8 at a brewery in Oldbury, with Member for Darling Range Hugh Jones attending to present special gifts.
Mr Jones presented Mr Richardson with his special birthday letter from the Queen, that is only given on a 100thBirthday.
At the same time Mr Jones also gave Mr Richardson his Commemorative Medallion, which acknowledges the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
The medallion was made available to every living veteran of the Second World War, during which Mr Richardson served in the Royal Engineers Corps where he drove a tank.
Mr Richardson also rode alongside the carriage at King George VI’s funeral in 1952.
In 1965 the Richardson family immigrated to Australia and arrived by aeroplane through the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme.
His birthday party was a huge success with a big turn out of friends and family.
