A FORMER boxing champion has celebrated his 100th birthday.
Leslie Cranfield, of Thorpe Crescent, Watlhamstow, celebrated his centenery at his son James' home in Loughton last Sunday.
Mr Cranfield's granddaughter Stephanie Bussell said: “The Queen’s Birthday card meant a lot, followed closely by a card signed by the Milwall football team.
“He joked that he was a regular as recently as 1938.”
The second youngest of five children, Mr Cranfield was born in Stepney, east London.
He witnessed Zeppelin attacks and lost an elder brother in the war.
As a teenager he took up boxing and as a member of Limehouse and Poplar boxing club, becoming lightweight champion of north east London in 1927.
As a corporal in the Second World War he was evacuated from Saint-Nazaire in western France as part of Operation Ariel.
He later took part in the D Day landings and was honoured for gallantry.
He settled in Walthamstow after the war with his wife Florence and their three children and today has five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
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