An aviation veteran in South Somerset has celebrated his 100th birthday.
Lance Brice, a former Leonardo employee, is being recognised for his lifelong contribution to Yeovil's aviation industry and his role in shaping the town’s aircraft legacy.
Mr Brice began his career just before the start of World War II, joining the company as a 14-year-old apprentice in the assembly shop.
He soon moved into the sheet metal shop, where his work supported the Allied war effort.
During the war, Mr Brice contributed to the production of the Supermarine Spitfire, helping to build the wings of the iconic fighter plane that defended British skies.
His career spanned both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft and included work on the Westland Welkin, the Westland Wizard, and the Westland Westminster.
He held especially fond memories of the Westland Lysander, which was used to drop secret agents behind enemy lines during the war.
Mr Brice was given a framed photograph of the aircraft when he retired.
During his National Service with the Fleet Air Arm, his skills were considered so valuable that he was retained to support manufacturing efforts in Yeovil.
After the war, as the town became the UK’s leading centre for helicopter production, Mr Brice remained at the core of its growth.
Leonardo’s Yeovil site now supports thousands of skilled jobs and produces advanced helicopters such as the Merlin and Wildcat for UK and international customers.
When asked which helicopters he worked on during his 51-year career, Mr Brice said: "Well, all of them, of course, until I retired."
Just before he left the company, he and his wife were invited to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace - an experience he described as one of the highlights of his life.
As he turned 100 this month, Leonardo celebrated Mr Brice with a special letter and a framed photograph from Nigel Colman, managing director of Leonardo Helicopters UK.
The photograph featured a collection of the historic aircraft Mr Brice worked on.
Mr Colman said: "Reaching 100 is an incredible milestone, but Lance's centenary is also a celebration of the very fabric of our Yeovil site.
"From entering the assembly shop as a 14-year-old apprentice to crafting the wings of the Spitfire during World War II, Lance represents a generation of master craftsmen whose skill and dedication directly defended this nation.
"His career traced some of the key developments in aviation history, from legendary fixed-wing aircraft like the Lysander and Welkin to the pioneering era of rotary-wing flight.
"When Lance says he worked on 'all of them' until his retirement, he isn't just speaking for himself - he is describing the foundation upon which today’s Merlin and Wildcat fleets are built.
"The engineering excellence he demonstrated in the sheet metal shop lives on in the modern defence technology we produce today.
"On behalf of everyone at Leonardo, I want to thank Lance for his lifetime of service and wish him a very happy 100th birthday."
Mr Brice’s legacy endures in the Merlin and Wildcat helicopters produced in Yeovil - aircraft that continue to serve and protect, just as the Spitfires he once helped build did so many years ago.
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