RAF veteran Ronnie Holdsworth, 105, to mark 80th Remembrance Sunday

He faced freezing temperatures, enemy fire and death-defying bombing raids from a cramped aircraft turret. Now, 105-year-old RAF veteran Ronnie Holdsworth is preparing to honour his fallen comrades from his home in America.

A 105-year-old RAF hero who miraculously survived 32 bombing missions during the Second World War is preparing to mark his 80th Remembrance Sunday.

RAF veteran Ronnie Holdsworth, 105, survived 32 dangerous bombing missions as a rear gunner during the Second World War. | SWNS

placeholder image — RAF veteran Ronnie Holdsworth, 105, survived 32 dangerous bombing missions as a rear gunner during the Second World War. | SWNS

Ronnie Holdsworth, originally from Bradford, West Yorkshire, had one of the most dangerous jobs in Bomber Command – a rear gunner trapped in a freezing tail turret as German fighters attacked his aircraft.

This Sunday, the veteran will be honoured at his retirement home in Bakersfield, California, here his family have flown out from Britain to celebrate his extraordinary service. His great-niece Angie Burns, 53, said: "We're taking Remembrance Sunday to Ronnie." International Bomber Command has arranged an RAF uniform for him, alongside a replica of his logbook detailing all 32 missions. The family have also contacted Buckingham Palace requesting a message from the King.

Ronnie Holdsworth (2nd left, top row) with his bomber command crew. | Angie Burns / SWNS

Ronnie volunteered for the RAF aged 18 in 1940, having grown up in Great Horton and worked in a paper and twine factory. He eventually joined No.158 Squadron, flying Handley Page Halifax bombers over Germany. His role meant spending six or seven hours at a time squeezed into a cramped turret, looking out for enemy attacks. "As a rear gunner, I was the only one who flew backwards," he recalled.

One terrifying mission came on Christmas Eve 1944, when an oxygen tank was hit near Duisburg, leaving the crew fearing their aircraft might crash. "I thought 'I'm going to be a guest of Hitler's for Christmas'," Ronnie said. The damaged bomber eventually made an emergency landing at RAF Carnaby, near Bridlington. His final mission was over Berlin on January 16, 1945.

Ronnie Holdsworth, completed all 32 operations with his crew from 158 squadron during WWII. | Angie Burns / SWNS

After the war, Ronnie married Margaret and the couple emigrated to America in 1958, raising their two sons. Despite his age, he has remained remarkably active, taking to the skies in a 1940s biplane for his 100th birthday and riding in a tank at 105.

Angie said Ronnie was humble, funny and still attends a daily dance class. His wartime crewmates nicknamed him Chico because of his musical family background and love of dancing. She said: "People say 'there aren't any war veterans left now' – well we want the world to know that Ronnie is still here." Reflecting on his extraordinary wartime experiences, Ronnie said: "I often think how the hell did I sit there all that time? It made you grow up pretty fast."