12/05/2025
๐ WWII Heroine Celebrates 101st Birthday After VE Day 80th Anniversary ๐
On the eve of VE Day's 80th anniversary, we celebrated an extraordinary woman: Beryl Thornton, a proud WWII veteran and member of the Womenโs Royal Naval Service, who turned 101 years old on May 7th!
Beryl, who resides at Camberley Heights Care Home - Avery Collection, was honoured at a heartfelt ceremony attended by family, friends, local dignitaries, Armed Forces representatives, and the Mayor of Surrey Heath.
๐ฌ โItโs been such a privilege to serve my country,โ Beryl shared, visibly moved. โTo be here today, surrounded by so many wonderful people, is truly a gift.โ
Born in 1924, Beryl joined the WRNS in 1943, working as a coder for the Government Code and Cypher School. From Scotland to Ceylon, her encrypted messages helped drive Allied success in the Far East.
๐ฌ โThe work we did was crucial,โ Beryl said. โIt was a tough time, but there were moments of joy tooโฆ the camaraderie with the Navy and American forces kept us going.โ
Berylโs birthday celebrations continued over the weekend with a charity dinner in support of the Camberley Branch - Royal British Legion, a cause close to Beryl's heart. ๐
Ian Chandler, Home Manager at Camberley Heights Care Home, reflected, โWe are incredibly proud to honour her at this significant moment in history. Her story is a reminder of the incredible contributions made by women during WWII, and it is an honour to be part of her journey.โ ๐