A 103-year-old Second World War veteran has been sharing his stories of the frontline with primary school children in Salford – as part of a new project to celebrate the anniversary of VE Day.
Bombardier Tom Jones was called up to serve in the Royal Artillery as the war broke out in 1939 – when he was aged just 17.
He spent time defending the Liverpool Docks and was later posted to Myanmar, also known as Burma, for four years until the end of the war in 1945.
He is one of the surviving veterans taking part in the VE Mail project – writing a personal letter to schoolchildren about his experiences during the war.
He wrote to the children at James Brindley Community Primary School in Salford and was invited to read his letter in person to the Year 6 class.
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He said sharing his experiences with the children was important to him.
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“I think people should know about what we went through,” he told Sky News.
“There were no films, no pictures about it. There were no reporters in Burma, no photographers. So I think people should know about it – the conditions that we lived in were shocking.”
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The VE Mail project has been launched to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on 8 May 2025.
As part of the initiative, run by the Together coalition and Royal Mail, schools across the UK can apply to get a personalised letter from a Second World War veteran.
Pupils will then be able to write their own letters in response.
Tom’s letter detailed his experiences working as a wireless operator in the Burmese jungle, serving alongside the Gurkhas, who he described as the “very best” of soldiers.
His story of being chased by a wild elephant while training in India drew delighted smiles from the class.
He also brought in a Morse code machine, which he demonstrated by typing out some of the children’s names.
“He amazed me,” said Jetty Bammeke, one of the Year 6 pupils. “Some of his stories were funny, some were sad.
“He told us how he made friends and missed his wife dearly. He did a great job serving his community and fighting in the war.”
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Adele Jewell, who is head of history at the school, says the project has helped pupils connect with what they are learning about the war.
“Having someone who is experienced and can tell their story and their journey engages the children in a way that we could not possibly do,” she told Sky News.
“Children now are using devices for writing and text. Actually writing letters gives them that chance to think about vocabulary and how they can express themselves.”
Schools can apply to take part in the project on the Together website at together.org.uk.
