One of WA's oldest surviving WWII Veterans celebrates 104 years of life, love and kindness

Margaret River Royal Air Force veteran and former prisoner of war Brian Walley never expected to see his 25th birthday. He has, this month celebrated his 104th - still sharing stories, wisdom and lessons in kindness with the youngest members of his community.

Believed to be among Western Australia’s oldest surviving World War II veterans and former prisoners of war, Brian celebrated his 104th birthday on 2 July at BaptistCare Mirrambeena Aged Care Home in Margaret River, surrounded by family travelling from across the globe.

After surviving the crash of a Royal Air Force bomber in the freezing North Sea, spending two days adrift in a flimsy dinghy as the sole survivor of his crew, and enduring more than three years as a prisoner of war in Germany, Brian has spent every day since with a deep appreciation for life.

“When you’ve survived what I did, you don’t worry about much anymore,” Brian said.

“I wake up grateful every morning. Every day since I came home has been a bonus.”

Born in Cheshire, England, in 1922, Brian enlisted in the Royal Air Force just one day before his 18th birthday, fulfilling a childhood dream inspired after watching an aircraft land in one of his family’s paddocks.

On 7 November 1941, while serving as second pilot aboard a Whitley bomber returning from a raid over Berlin, Brian’s aircraft was forced to ditch into the North Sea.

For two days, the surviving crew drifted in rough seas. One by one, his fellow airmen were claimed by the freezing water and exposure until Brian was the only man left alive. Rescued by a German seaplane, he spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner of war before finally returning home.

But Brian says the greatest day of his life was not surviving the war.

It was finding Mair.

The couple had met before the war and exchanged letters while Brian was a prisoner of war in Germany. When he returned home five years later, fate reunited them at a petrol station in North Wales. They married in 1946 and shared 76 devoted years together before Mair passed away in 2022.

Together they raised five children before emigrating to Australia in 1967 and eventually settling in Western Australia, where Brian built a successful career in mining and mineral exploration.

In retirement, he turned to writing, documenting his extraordinary experiences across five published books so future generations would never forget the realities of war or the value of freedom.

Today, Brian continues to pass on those lessons in a gentler way.

Each fortnight, three and four-year-old children from Bluebird Childcare in Margaret River visit BaptistCare Mirrambeena, where Brian reads to them and talks about kindness and gratitude.

The visits have become a powerful reminder of the connection between generations - children just beginning their lives learning from a man who has lived through more than a century of history.

Brian has called BaptistCare Mirrambeena home since 2012, where staff know him not only as a decorated veteran, but as a humble gentleman with a sharp sense of humour, an unwavering curiosity and an enduring gratitude for life.

His birthday celebrations included a homemade chocolate cake, live music and visits from family, including children travelling from Wales and Mexico to honour the milestone.

Asked what advice he would give after 104 years, Brian’s answer is simple.

“Make the most of every day.”

BaptistCare Mirrambeena Lifestyle Coordinator Yuriko Park said Brian’s resilience, humility and optimism continue to inspire everyone who meets him.

“Brian has lived through some of history’s darkest moments, yet he chooses to focus on kindness, gratitude and the people around him,” said Yuriko.

“To see him sharing those values with young children is incredibly special. He reminds us that every person has an extraordinary story, and that wisdom, kindness and connection can be passed from one generation to the next.”

“We are privileged to celebrate this remarkable milestone with Brian and his family.”