Watch: 104-year-old Preston WW2 veteran receives a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Transport Trust

Speaking to the Post upon receiving his award, Ernest Horsfall said: “I’ve had a wonderful life, and still have, look at the attention I’m gaining now. Today has been a day of surprises, meeting people who I’ve not known before and obviously people of consequence, experience and wonderful wonderful characters, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

"My intellect tells me I haven’t much longer to go and yet my mentality tells me I’m 49! Thank you all, thank you all.”

Ernest served in the Army as an engineer from 1940 to 1946, with the Army’s Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). Initially he served in London during the 1940 Blitz, before moving to North Africa to help the fight for El Alamein and elsewhere. In Egypt, Ernest established and ran a vehicle workshop for Eighth Army vehicles and was promoted from Private to Staff Sergeant in just one year. In 1943, shortly after the Allied invasion, Ernest transferred to Italy with his workshop and stayed there until after the War ended.

Originally from Bradford, Ernest moved to Preston in the 1960’s and began a hobby which still interests him to this day, light aircraft flying and engineering. Ernest was a light aircraft pilot until age 93, when insurers would no longer cover him, and remained a light aircraft engineer and Light Aircraft Association Inspector until Summer 2021. Ernest was then still recognised as a worldwide expert on wooden aircraft construction. Over his career, Ernest has owned and restored dozens of light aircraft, many of them Jodel models, and he remains active in the Jodel community.

After an early career as an engineer in the textile industry, Ernest joined the Jowett car company in the 1950’s, later becoming a senior development engineer with Vauxhall Motors until his retirement. However, his motor industry career was always secondary to his keen interest in light aviation. Ernest received his Lifetime Achievement Award at his residential home in Fulwood, presented by Lady McAlpine, President of the NTT, and the event was also attended by the Deputy Lieutenant for Lancashire Charles Hadcock DL.

The National Transport Trust is the only national body which promotes and encourages the preservation and restoration of Britain's transport heritage in all its forms, road, rail, wings and water.