Air Commodore Stanley Widdows and the bronze commissioned by his family for his birthday. It is modelled on part of the Battle of Britain memorial in London. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 0853108)

THE oldest surviving Battle of Britain pilot has celebrated his 100th birthday in Guernsey.

Air Commodore Stanley Widdows commanded night-fighting 29 Squadron.

He flew more than 100 different types of plane and was a test pilot for Spitfires and Hurricanes, giving them the final all-clear for the RAF.

‘Our job was very simple. We tried to shoot down the German aircraft before they shot at us. We watched over the skies and patrolled over the country,’ he said.

Mr Widdows’ family had a bronze statue commissioned for his birthday. The figurine is a scale replica of the central section of a large Battle of Britain memorial opened in 2005 at Victoria Embankment in London.

The bronze is by the same artist, Paul Day.

Mr Widdows, whose name is engraved on the memorial, and his wife Irene, 93, known as Nickie, were at the unveiling of the memorial by Prince Charles.

‘My name will be on that wall forever. Imagine that, having my name on a memorial in London. I’m very proud of that,’ said Mr Widdows.

He started his career as an aircraft apprentice and was selected – only one in 100 were – to advance to RAF Cranwell.

Mrs Widdows said he nearly didn’t make it because he failed the first medical.

‘He was turned down because his hearing was not good enough but the instructor was so horrified his prize pupil was not going to make it that he sent him back for a second test.

‘That was when they pulled out a bit of cotton wool which his mother had put in one of his ears. It had been there for years,’ she said.