{"id":340269,"date":"2025-08-13T04:44:24","date_gmt":"2025-08-13T04:44:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/340269\/"},"modified":"2025-08-13T04:44:24","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T04:44:24","slug":"sophie-duchess-of-edinburgh-meets-105-year-old-wwii-veteran-ahead-of-80th-v-j-day-anniversary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/340269\/","title":{"rendered":"Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Meets 105-Year-Old WWII Veteran Ahead of 80th V-J Day Anniversary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh<\/a>, had a very special afternoon tea on Tuesday. The Duchess, who serves as patron of the Java Far East Prisoner of War Club 1942, an association for former prisoners of war<\/a>, from met with James \u201cJim\u201d Wren, a 105-year-old Royal Marines veteran at the Sarum Manor Care Home in Salisbury, England.<\/p>\n

\"VJWPA Pool\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Wren shared a number of photos from his days in service with the Duchess of Edinburgh.<\/p>\n

The meeting took place just a few days ahead of the 80th anniversary of Victory in Japan (V-J) Day, commemorating the end of World War II in the Pacific Theater. The British royal family commemorated the end of the war in Europe (V-E Day)<\/a> earlier this year in May.<\/p>\n

Per the Daily Express<\/a>, Wren shared with the Duchess how his ship, the HMS Repulse<\/a>, was sunk by Japanese torpedoes before he was later captured in Singapore and held in a prisoner of war camp for three and a half years until the war ended in August 1945.<\/p>\n

\"TheWPA Pool\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

The Duchess was very emotional as Wren shared his story as a prisoner of war.<\/p>\n

“I was having a cup of tea and the alarm went off. The first bomb got right behind me. And fortunately it didn’t explode,\u201d Wren recalled. \u201cIt got down through three decks. That saved my life in a sense. From then onwards it was a case of actions, actions, and it was torpedo after torpedo and they eventually got nine hits.”<\/p>\n

\"TheWPA Pool\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Sophie was said to have told Wren that it was a \u201cgreat honor\u201d to have met the retired veteran.<\/p>\n

Wren went through a photo album with the Duchess of Edinburgh, who appeared teary-eyed in several images from the meeting. Sophie, dressed casually in a multiprint dress by Lexy London<\/a>, also met four generations of Wren\u2019s family, including his daughter Denise Dables, 69, son-in-law Andy Dables, 72, granddaughter Kirsty Dables, 51, and great-granddaughters Freya, 18, and Ellie, 16.<\/p>\n

\"TheWPA Pool\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

The Duchess meeting with Wren\u2019s extended family.<\/p>\n

The Duchess also reportedly asked<\/a> Wren why he wanted to serve in the Royal Navy, to which he replied, \u201cNothing attracted me to the Navy\u2014I didn\u2019t want to be in the Navy.\u201d Turns out the answer was he actually wanted to be in the Royal Air Force or the Royal Army at age 19, but was turned down by both.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Rachel King (she\/her) is a news writer at\u00a0Town & Country. Before joining\u00a0T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at\u00a0Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in\u00a0Forbes,\u00a0Observer,\u00a0Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and\u00a0Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at\u00a0@rk.passport<\/a>.<\/p>\n