Irene celebrates her 100th birthday by finally receiving the wartime medal she has waited a lifetime for
A remarkable woman has celebrated her 100th birthday with a day she and her family will never forget, as she finally received the wartime medal she has waited a lifetime to receive.
Elizabeth Irene Cavanagh, known to everyone as Irene, turned 100 today, Wednesday 7th October, surrounded by her family and friends for an extraordinary celebration of her life and her service during the Second World War.
Irene served with the Royal Signals during the war, rising to the rank of Sergeant, and has always remained immensely proud of the part she played during such an important period in British history.
But despite her wartime service, there was something Irene had waited decades to receive.
Her war medal.
Today, on the very day she reached the incredible age of 100, that wait finally came to an end.
Irene was presented with her War Medal 1939 to 1945, together with a special certificate recognising her service during the Second World War and expressing appreciation for the contribution she made to her country.
It was an incredibly poignant moment for Irene and her family and brought a chapter stretching back more than 80 years full circle.
A day filled with surprises
Much of today’s incredible celebration was organised by Irene’s granddaughter-in-law Melissa, who was determined to make sure such an important birthday was one Irene would never forget.
And she certainly succeeded.
The BBC came along to interview Irene for television, while the Liverpool Echo also visited to speak to Irene about her remarkable life, her wartime service and her memories.
Members of the Signals netball team also joined Irene for the celebrations, providing another wonderful connection to the military family of which she was once such a proud part.
One of the most memorable surprises of the day came with the arrival of a wartime Jeep.
Irene was able to sit inside the military vehicle, bringing back some incredible memories of her younger years.
Wearing her gold 100 & Fabulous sash, Irene sat proudly in the Jeep with the Royal Signals flag flying above her as family and friends gathered around.
For Irene, the Second World War is not something she simply learned about in a history book. It is something she lived through and experienced as a young woman serving her country.
To see her sitting in a wartime Jeep again at the age of 100 was a particularly special moment for everyone there.
Family travelled from Canada to celebrate with Irene
At the heart of the celebrations was Irene’s family.
Irene has one son, Richard, who was there to share this extraordinary milestone with his mum and was incredibly proud to see her celebrating her 100th birthday and finally receiving recognition for her wartime service.
And some of Irene’s family had travelled an enormous distance to make sure they could be there.
Irene’s niece Anne and her husband Rusty (far left in the photo) travelled all the way from Canada especially to spend the day with Auntie Irene and celebrate her 100th birthday. It made an already emotional family gathering even more special.
Another beautiful moment came when Irene was photographed with her great granddaughter Chloe.
Irene is the oldest member of the family and Chloe the youngest, making the photographs of the two together a wonderful picture of generations separated by almost an entire century.
A very special card from the King and Queen
Irene also received one of the most treasured traditions associated with reaching such an extraordinary milestone.
A 100th birthday card from Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived to mark Irene’s special day.
And it was far from the only card Irene received.
Following the appeal ahead of her birthday, the response was incredible, with more than 100 birthday cards arriving for Irene.
The cards were displayed throughout the home, creating a wonderful reminder of just how many people wanted to help Irene celebrate reaching her century.
Irene and her family would like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone who took the time to send her a card. Every one helped make her birthday that little bit more special.
The home was beautifully decorated for the occasion, complete with photographs from Irene’s life, balloons, decorations and a wonderful 100th birthday cake.
Amazing balloon displays by Melissa’s Auntie Terri
An extraordinary century of life
Irene’s story stretches far beyond her wartime service.
After the war she went on to work at the world famous Harrods in London, another period of her life which she still remembers fondly.
Today she was surrounded by the people she loves, including family who had crossed the Atlantic to be with her, while looking back on a century of memories few of us could ever imagine experiencing.
But among all the celebrations, birthday cards, television cameras, cake and surprises, there was one moment that carried particular significance.
More than eight decades after serving her country, Sergeant Elizabeth Irene Cavanagh finally received her War Medal on her 100th birthday.
For Irene and her family, it was difficult to imagine a more fitting day for it to finally arrive.
A huge amount of credit must also go to Melissa, whose hard work brought together Irene’s family, her military connections, the media and all the wonderful surprises that made today so memorable.
This wasn’t simply a 100th birthday party.
It was a celebration of 100 years of Irene’s life, her family, her memories and her service to her country.
From everyone at Formby Bubble, we would like to wish the wonderful Elizabeth Irene Cavanagh a very Happy 100th Birthday.
And after waiting a lifetime, Irene finally has the wartime medal she so richly treasures.
Here is the video that was aired on
BBC Northwest Tonight…
A very special thank you must also go to all the wonderful staff at Locharwoods of Birkdale, who put so much time, care and effort into making Irene’s 100th birthday such an unforgettable occasion. From the beautiful decorations and celebrations to helping make sure Irene was surrounded by family, friends and so many special memories, the staff went above and beyond to make the day truly memorable. Irene and her family are incredibly grateful to everyone at Locharwoods who helped make her milestone birthday so special.
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