Former postie and POW John McRae celebrates his 100th birthd

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Former postie and POW John McRae celebrates his 100th birthday

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Fife/a ... thday.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A Fife man who went from being a postman to a prisoner of war in the space of a few years celebrated his 100th birthday on Tuesday.

John McRae celebrated the day with family at his home in Methilhill, where he lives on his own supported by his son Ken, daughters Morag and Shona, and his grandchildren.

Mr McRae joined Methilhill Pipe Band at the age of 14 and spent some of his teenage years in the local coal mine.

At 20, he joined The Black Watch as a piper and served from 1930 to 1937.

Prior to the second world war he was a postman in Buckhaven before being called up to serve with the Black Watch 51st Highland Division.

Captured at St Valery en Caux, Mr McRae spent five years as a prisoner of war in camps in Poland.

After the war he returned to work as a postman — first in Buckhaven, then Leven.

He rose to the position of assistant inspector before his retirement in 1975.

Since then he has been a keen gardener and vegetable grower, makes his own soup and goes for a daily walk to keep active.

He is also a member of Methilhill Bowling Club and still enjoys going to the bingo there two or three times a week.

Friends, neighbours and family members were in and out of the house in Methilhill throughout the day to help Mr McRae celebrate his centenary.

He received congratulatory letters from Fife Council and from the work and pensions minister, Iain Duncan Smith.

Mr McRae met his wife Nora in 1955. She died in 2000.