100 year-old veteran shares story of end of war
Tom Berry, originally from Liverpool and now living in Macclesfield, served as a radio operator on HMS Tartar
Last updated 7th May 2025
A 100-year-old Royal Navy veteran has shared memories of celebrating his 21st birthday aboard a warship during VE Day in 1945, recalling how he “got a bit squiffy” after an extra ration of rum.
Tom Berry, originally from Liverpool and now living in Macclesfield, served as a radio operator on HMS Tartar, a Tribal-class destroyer that became known as the ‘Lucky Tartar’ for surviving multiple wartime encounters.
Speaking ahead of the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day on 8 May, Mr Berry described how the end of the war in Europe was announced aboard the ship, marking a double celebration for the crew.
“The captain came on to the deck and addressed the crew to let us know that the war was over in Europe,” he said. “The Admiralty ordered us to ‘splice the mainbrace’, which is basically an order to have a drink."
“Because it was my birthday, I got more than most and got a bit squiffy.”
Mr Berry, who turns 101 on 9 May, said he hopes people across the country take part in the Royal British Legion’s commemorations.
“I hope everyone joins in the spirit of the celebrations the Royal British Legion is laying on for the country,” he said.
Despite his role in the conflict, he said he “doesn’t consider himself a hero” but “a lucky man on a lucky ship”. HMS Tartar was one of only four destroyers out of 16 to survive the war.
Recalling one of the ship’s closest encounters, Mr Berry spoke about D-Day, when the crew provided naval gunfire to support troops landing in Normandy.
“Our orders were to shell the German emplacements to allow the troops to land in Normandy – I felt very sorry for those poor soldiers heading into the unknown,” he said.
“After the troops moved further inland we patrolled the Channel and sank two German destroyers, but they returned fire and shot our main mast away. The galley and the bridge caught fire and we lost four men in that incident before limping back to Plymouth.”
Although VE Day marked the end of the war in Europe, HMS Tartar continued serving in the Asia-Pacific region.
“We were a bit miffed at all this celebrating in the UK,” Mr Berry said, “We were still being shot at.”
He described a tense encounter with a Japanese cruiser. “It was very heavily armed – we could only fire about five miles but their range was seven or eight. It was a tense time, but we kept going.”
The war finally ended for Mr Berry on 2 September 1945, when HMS Tartar was present at the signing of the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay.