FORMER World War 2 RAF gunner John Armstrong celebrated his 98th birthday in Cardigan with family, friends – and belly dancers.

A special party was laid on at the Fisherman’s Rest at Quay Street on Wednesday (July 18), where John, from Llechryd, is a familiar face to staff and customers.

To mark the occasion the dance troupe was organised by café owner Jane Roche as a special surprise.

“We held a party last year and John said ‘how are you going to top that – dancing girls?’ and so we laid on a special treat for him,” said Jane, who got in touch with West Wales Bellydance to lay on the entertainment.

Well-wishers popped in throughout Wednesday afternoon (July 18) to pass on their congratulations and among the many cards and gifts he received was a special oil painting from his daughter Janet, depicting John and his wife Elsie stood next to their first car back in the 1940s.

The picture depicts a Ford 8, which cost £100 back in the day, and shows the happy couple enjoying a picnic on their second wedding anniversary back in 1948.

“I started painting the picture from a couple of old photographs about eight and a half years ago but mum was then taken ill and it was not until now that I have got around to finishing it,” said Janet who had travelled up from Cornwall with husband Eric to be with her father on his special day.

Among other visitors to the party was Mayor of Cardigan Cllr John Adams-Lewis, who shares a love of flying with John.

John also received a card and special tie from the RAF Association, of which he has been a member since the 1940s.

Originally, from Cumberland, John enlisted in the RAF in 1938 and trained as a wireless electrical mechanic and then air gunner.

He began the war based in Yorkshire, carrying out night operations over Germany and other parts of Europe in various marks of the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, a twin-engined bomber.

He then flew in Handley Page Halifax bombers, a four-engined bomber before transferring to the Far East where he came up against the Japanese, flying in a Vultee Vengeance dive bomber.

After the war, John worked at an RAF technical training school in Wiltshire until he had completed his 12 years’ service.

Then it was back to Cumberland and five years working for the Atomic Energy agency at Sellafield, which was then followed in 1955 by a move to the MOD establishment at Aberporth carrying out the flight testing on new aircraft, including Concorde.

He retired in 1977. He was married to wife Elsie for 65 years, who died seven years ago.

John was responsible for starting from scratch, in 1961, a squadron of the Air Training Corps in Cardigan.