A WAR veteran from the county's regiment was thrown a 100th birthday party by the army.

Bob King, who turned 100 in March, was thrown a 100th birthday bash by members of the Mercian Regiment.

This is the regiment formed from his old unit, the Worcestershire Regiment.

Mr King spent nearly three years serving in the Middle East during the Second World War and spent 18 months as a prisoner of war in Germany.

To mark his 100th birthday, staff from Foxland Grange Care Home in Wolverhampton, where he now lives, arranged for Major Peter Lewis and Corporal Phillip Thornton of the Mercian Regiment to pay him a visit.

Worcester News: CELEBRATION: Bob King celebrating his 100th birthday. Pic. PACELEBRATION: Bob King celebrating his 100th birthday. Pic. PA

Mr King said: "I felt honoured the regiment spent the time to come and wish me a happy 100th birthday, and it definitely marked the occasion along with my family celebrations and the ongoing support from all the team at Foxland Grange."

The representatives of the regiment presented Mr King with a special coin to mark the occasion, before enjoying a slice of cake baked by the home’s head chef.

After the war, Mr King, who was by then a captain, left the Army and worked for 70 years as a solicitor, only retiring recently at the age of 98.

He married twice and had two children, Sheila and Peter, who are regular visitors at the Tettenhall care home.

Worcester News: FUN: Bob King with fellow Foxland Grange residents. Pic. PAFUN: Bob King with fellow Foxland Grange residents. Pic. PA

Foxland Grange general manager Su Edmonds described Mr King as a "much-loved resident".

She said: "His gentlemanly nature and his history serving in WW2 have always made him a hero – so it was great to celebrate this fantastic milestone with his family, friends and special guests from the regiment."

Mr King's wartime service saw him fight in Greece, being captured defending the island of Leros in the Dodecanese.

He spent time in a temporary POW camp near Athens before being transported to his permanent home at Oflag 8F on the German/Czech border.

In 1944, and with the Red Army approaching from the east, the prisoners were moved to another camp near Braunschweig, before being liberated by the Americans.