90 year old ex soldier from Perivale treated by kind hearted cops

Whilst on patrol , PC Douglas Gray, from Greenford's local policing team, struck up a conversation with an elderly gentleman, Joe Stiff, and found something in common, namely both were ex-forces.

PC Gray is an ex-Royal Marine and Joe was in the Army who served with the Kings Royal Rifles on D-Day, landing on Sword Beach in the Normandy invasion.

On finding out that Joe had nothing planned for the 70th anniversary of D-Day, PC Gray arranged a police escort and transport to his local Royal British Legion club in Greenford where he had the pleasure of a chat and drink with two other World War 2 veteran residents; Jack, ex-Navy, served elsewhere on a destroyer on D-Day and Cyril, also ex-Navy, served on a submarine on D-Day.

Joe served through France, Holland and Germany, before being sent to Palestine at the end of the war. Joe will be 91 next month and currently lives in Perivale.

PC Douglas Gray said: “It was an absolute pleasure and honour to spend a few hours with Joe, Jack and Cyril. I even broke the habit of a lifetime and put my hand in my pocket to buy them all a well deserved drink! Words cannot describe our gratitude, so simply, ‘thank you’ gents.”

10th June 2014