A veteran of World War II celebrated her 105th birthday with friends, relatives, and guests from the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Ivi Minan, who was born in Walsall, Staffordshire, served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), the women’s branch of the British Army, during the war. She enlisted when she was 20 years old.

She served in Cornwall, where she worked as a rangefinder operator in an anti-aircraft artillery unit, helping to locate and target enemy bombers.

More than 80 years later, she celebrated her special birthday on Monday with a party at the Wilson Keys retirement home in Rattley, where she lives.

When asked what the secret to her longevity is, she told BBC Midlands Today: “It’s a mystery even to me. Maybe it’s because I’ve lived a good life and had a happy marriage.”

She added with a touch of humor: “You know what I do a lot? I sleep. When I sit here all by myself, I fall asleep.”

Minan served in the ATS for four years. It was there that she met her late husband, Johnny, who was serving in the RAF in Cornwall. The two met at a dance in March 1942.

Speaking about the significance of her role during the war, she said, “I was one of many. Even though it was such a sad time, at a certain point I began to enjoy my time in the ATS.”

She also praised the legendary Spitfire fighter plane and its pilots, saying: “If it weren’t for the Spitfire, I don’t know what we would have done. It was a wonderful aircraft.”

In addition to the visit from RAF officials, Minan spent her birthday with the other residents of the nursing home and her family members.

Her roommate, Joyce Clark, described her as “absolutely amazing,” while Susan Miles said she is “a joy to everyone who knows her.”

Her son, Peter, said, “She’s 105 years old and has accomplished so much. It’s very strange to be approaching 80 and still have a mother who thinks of you as a teenager.”.

Her niece, Gillian Lauder, said that the whole family feels “proud, privileged, and deeply honored” to have had her in their lives for so long.

“She doesn’t realize how special she is. We love her so much,” she added.