Happy birthday John! Peebles war veteran reveals secret to a long and happy life as he turns 103
Last updated 6th Feb 2024
The bells of the Old Parish Church in Peebles have rang out to the sound of happy birthday.
It's to celebrate the life of John McOwan, who turns 103 today (Tuesday).
The great grandfather - who ran a jewellers shop in Peebles before his retirement - has been telling us the secret to a long and happy life.
"I say it's just a matter of luck; luck that I was born with the right genes, and luck that I've tended to avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time," John told Greatest Hits Radio.
"I've more or less lived in Peebles all my days, so there must be something about the air in Peebles that helps longevity."
The World War Two veteran - who's believed to be one of the oldest people living in the Scottish Borders - revealed regular walks have helped keep him fit and active.
Last year he was awarded France’s highest military award – the Legion D’Honneur medal - in recognition of his role in the D-Day landings at Normandy.
But what do you wish for when you blow out the candles on your birthday cake this year?
"Just to keep all my marbles!" he smiled. "People sometimes ask: 'How are you keeping?' And I say: 'Well, I've got all my marbles, but i just mislay some of them now and again."
WATCH: Click on the link below to view our video chat with John...
John planned to train as an optometrist after leaving school but he joined the Royal Artillery aged 18 in 1939 shortly before the outbreak of war.
After serving on the artillery batteries defending the Forth Rail Bridge, he was then transferred to Egypt in 1940. He used his engineering skills to work on tanks, trucks and other equipment with the 7th Armoured Division.
Known as the “Desert Rats”, they served for several years in North Africa, going on to take part in the Allied landings in the south of Italy.
John was then involved in the Normandy landings, on June 6, 1944. The largest seaborne invasion in history, it marked the beginning of the liberation of France.
His division continued on to victory in Berlin before he finally left the Army, as a sergeant, in 1946. He returned to Peebles and took over the family jewellery business with his brother, retiring in 1990. He and his late wife Betty had one daughter, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
John has already written a memoir with the help of Blind Veterans UK. He said: “The trip back to the Normandy beaches was a catalyst for me. I kept thinking back to my service days and wartime experience. Then during lockdown, I started writing to pass the time.
“I was really proud of my service, and I wanted to dedicate the book to my great-grandchildren. You often hear from people who knew nothing about their father’s or grandfather’s experience, and wishing that they had asked them more about it.”
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