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| Captain Tom Moore given colonel title on 100th birthday | Captain Tom Moore given colonel title on 100th birthday |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| Captain Tom Moore, who has raised more than £29m for the NHS by walking laps of his garden, has been made an honorary colonel on his 100th birthday. | |
| The occasion has also been marked with an RAF fly-past and birthday greetings from the Queen and prime minister. | |
| He said it was "extraordinary" to be turning 100, especially with "this many well-wishers". | He said it was "extraordinary" to be turning 100, especially with "this many well-wishers". |
| Head of the Army General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith called Capt Tom "an inspirational role model". | Head of the Army General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith called Capt Tom "an inspirational role model". |
| Capt Tom is due to spend the majority of the day self-isolating with his daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and her family at his home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire. | Capt Tom is due to spend the majority of the day self-isolating with his daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and her family at his home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire. |
| He said he would also speak to other family members via the internet. | He said he would also speak to other family members via the internet. |
| "Reaching 100 is quite something. Reaching 100 with such interest in me and huge generosity from the public is very overwhelming," he said. | |
| "People keep saying what I have done is remarkable, however it's actually what you have done for me which is remarkable. | |
| "Please always remember, tomorrow will be a good day." | |
| As well as receiving a personalised card from the Queen, Prime Minister Boris Johnson recorded a special message in which he said the veteran was "a point of light in all our lives". | |
| "I know I speak for the whole nation when I say we wish you a very happy 100th birthday," he said. | |
| "Your heroic efforts have lifted the spirits of the entire nation, you've created a channel to enable millions to say a heartfelt thank you to the remarkable men and women in our NHS who have all been doing the most outstanding job." | |
| Capt Tom said it was "really outstanding" to get a message from Mr Johnson. | |
| Capt Tom was informed of his promotion to honorary colonel in a letter presented by Lt Col Thomas Miller, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, at his home. | |
| The Army said Chief of the General Staff, Sir Mark, who made the appointment, said Capt Tom's "mature wisdom, no-nonsense attitude and humour in adversity make him an inspirational role model to generations young and old". | The Army said Chief of the General Staff, Sir Mark, who made the appointment, said Capt Tom's "mature wisdom, no-nonsense attitude and humour in adversity make him an inspirational role model to generations young and old". |
| Capt Tom said he was "very moved" by the honour because to get that honorary rank in his regiment is "something we would never, ever anticipate". | |
| "I really am honoured by that and although I can't use it in public it really is something special to be able to say honorary colonel," he said. | |
| "I'm still Captain Tom, that's who I really am but if people choose to call me colonel, well, thank you very much!" | |
| The centenarian, who will now be entitled to use the rank of colonel, was also presented with a replacement Second World War Defence Medal ahead of next week's VE Day celebrations. | The centenarian, who will now be entitled to use the rank of colonel, was also presented with a replacement Second World War Defence Medal ahead of next week's VE Day celebrations. |
| Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said he was delighted with the move, calling Capt Tom "simply inspirational". | Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said he was delighted with the move, calling Capt Tom "simply inspirational". |
| "He not only embodies the spirit of our incredible veteran community, but the resolve of this nation," he added. | "He not only embodies the spirit of our incredible veteran community, but the resolve of this nation," he added. |
| The life of Capt Tom | The life of Capt Tom |
| The birthday has also been marked by a flypast of a Spitfire and Hurricane from the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, based at RAF Coningsby, which made three passes of his house. | |
| The Ministry of Defence had said it would "celebrate Captain Tom's birthday and mark his amazing fundraising achievement". | |
| Sqd Ldr Mark Discombe, Hurricane LF365 pilot, said it was a "huge privilege" for the Memorial Flight to be selected. | |
| "I think it encapsulates everything we stand for, commemorating what he did 75 years ago, [and] we're celebrating right now what he's achieved with all his fundraising for the NHS and inspiring the future for us all to pull together and work through this pandemic". | |
| Capt Tom said it was "fantastic" to see them, that he remembered the planes flying "in anger" and "fortunately today they were flying peacefully". | |
| The Department for Transport had blocked an earlier plan for a flypast of his home organised by a Spitfire restoration firm, as it was deemed "non-essential". | The Department for Transport had blocked an earlier plan for a flypast of his home organised by a Spitfire restoration firm, as it was deemed "non-essential". |
| Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar had organised a flypast involving a Mark IX Spitfire, but was denied permission to complete the flight. | Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar had organised a flypast involving a Mark IX Spitfire, but was denied permission to complete the flight. |
| Instead, its aircraft will fly on a circuit around Biggin Hill Airfield, near Croydon, during the evening to coincide with the weekly Clap for Carers event. | Instead, its aircraft will fly on a circuit around Biggin Hill Airfield, near Croydon, during the evening to coincide with the weekly Clap for Carers event. |
| Capt Tom was made an honorary England cricketer by former captain Michael Vaughan and will also celebrate his birthday as a chart-topper. | |
| His duet of You'll Never Walk Alone took the top spot last week, making him the oldest person ever to score a number one single in the UK. | |
| His partner on the song, Michael Ball, sung happy birthday to him via a video link and said he was "the only man who could get him in a smart shirt and suit during lockdown". | |
| Volunteers had to be called in to open tens of thousands of cards sent to Capt Tom, who served in India and Burma (now Myanmar) during World War Two. | Volunteers had to be called in to open tens of thousands of cards sent to Capt Tom, who served in India and Burma (now Myanmar) during World War Two. |
| An estimated 140,000 cards have been received and are on show at Bedford School, where his grandson, Benjie Ingram-Moore, is a pupil. | An estimated 140,000 cards have been received and are on show at Bedford School, where his grandson, Benjie Ingram-Moore, is a pupil. |
| Many of the envelopes on the cards will be stamped with a special Royal Mail postmark. | Many of the envelopes on the cards will be stamped with a special Royal Mail postmark. |
| All stamped post up until Friday was being marked with: "Happy 100th Birthday Captain Thomas Moore NHS fundraising hero 30th April 2020." | All stamped post up until Friday was being marked with: "Happy 100th Birthday Captain Thomas Moore NHS fundraising hero 30th April 2020." |
| The cards even travelled through a dedicated collection box at the South Midlands Mail Centre. | The cards even travelled through a dedicated collection box at the South Midlands Mail Centre. |
| Centre manager Stephen James said: "None of the team have ever known one person receive so much mail." | Centre manager Stephen James said: "None of the team have ever known one person receive so much mail." |
| The Royal Mail is also set to unveil a special postbox in Capt Tom's honour. | The Royal Mail is also set to unveil a special postbox in Capt Tom's honour. |
| Painted "NHS blue" and featuring a golden balloon and birthday greeting, it will be located in Bedford Road, close to where he lives. | Painted "NHS blue" and featuring a golden balloon and birthday greeting, it will be located in Bedford Road, close to where he lives. |
| Capt Tom has also been honoured by having two trains named after him. | Capt Tom has also been honoured by having two trains named after him. |
| The Great Western Railway intercity express train 800025 goes into service on Thursday. | The Great Western Railway intercity express train 800025 goes into service on Thursday. |
| Matthew Golton, from the company, said: "With his indomitable spirit what Captain Tom has achieved is truly inspirational." | Matthew Golton, from the company, said: "With his indomitable spirit what Captain Tom has achieved is truly inspirational." |
| Elsewhere, GB Railfreight said a 129-tonne, Class 66 freight locomotive would be named Captain Tom Moore, with the added inscription "A true British inspiration". | Elsewhere, GB Railfreight said a 129-tonne, Class 66 freight locomotive would be named Captain Tom Moore, with the added inscription "A true British inspiration". |
| Capt Tom's fundraising feats have inspired a host of artists to honour him with their own creative tributes, including garage murals, patchwork collages, knitted dolls and balloon figurines. | Capt Tom's fundraising feats have inspired a host of artists to honour him with their own creative tributes, including garage murals, patchwork collages, knitted dolls and balloon figurines. |
| The BBC's Make A Difference project has also been encouraging people to take photographs of themselves saluting the war veteran. | The BBC's Make A Difference project has also been encouraging people to take photographs of themselves saluting the war veteran. |
| These will be combined to make a mosaic to be presented to him. | These will be combined to make a mosaic to be presented to him. |
| Perhaps the best present though will be the knowledge the huge amount of money he raised will be going to NHS Charities Together. | Perhaps the best present though will be the knowledge the huge amount of money he raised will be going to NHS Charities Together. |
| Capt Tom, who was recently treated for a broken hip and skin cancer, initially aimed to rise £1,000 and said he set about raising the money "for the sake of the nurses and the NHS we have, because they are doing such a magnificent job". | Capt Tom, who was recently treated for a broken hip and skin cancer, initially aimed to rise £1,000 and said he set about raising the money "for the sake of the nurses and the NHS we have, because they are doing such a magnificent job". |
| Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk | Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk |