Harry Garrett is one hundred years old today.

A veteran of the Dunkirk evacuation, who later fought with the Desert Rats in North Africa, Mr Garrett this morning saw a tree planted in his honour in the Pontoise Close Play Area a park a short distance from his home in Riverhead in a ceremony arranged by Sevenoaks Town Council.

Cllr Richard Parry, chairman of the town council's open spaces committee, described Mr Garrett as a "a true hero."

Mr Garrett, originally from London, and his brother Kenny, joined the Territorial Army in Brixton in 1938 before the war started. Brought up in children's homes, they served in the 61st Anti Tank Regiment of the Royal Artillery, where their team set a new record for bringing a 6lb gun into action - 22 seconds.

During the Phoney War, they were was posted to Belgium, but Harry was allowed a short leave to return home to marry his fiancee Ethel.

Back in Belgium, he found the war had started in earnest. His unit was under continual attack as they defended the Albert Canal, but once the Belgians had capitulated were forced to withdraw to Arras, where they were in a fierce contest with a German armoured division.

They retreated first to Lille and then to Dunkirk.

When Christopher Nolan's film Dunkirk was released last year, Mr Garrett was among a small number of Dunkirk survivors invited to Kensington Place to meet Prince Harry and relate his experiences.

He said: "We got right on the beach where we were bombed at night and shelled during the day. We had no water so we went on the scrounge and walked up back into town where we found a storehouse still standing though the houses round it had been flattened."

Mr Garrett and his chums broke in and were delighted to find it full of Carnation milk and Jamaica rum.

Mr Garrett and his brother were eventually able to board HMS Wolsey, one of the last ships to leave.

He said: “The whole harbour was alight with ships burning, bombs going off and shelling.

“Everybody was looking for a haven to hide.

“We were being bombed and shelled all day, you didn’t have a moment’s rest. We had nowhere to go on the beach.

“To see that ship that came in to pick me and my brother up, it was a most fantastic sight.

“Shells were coming over and nearly knocking it out. You knew this was the chance to get home and you kept praying, please God, let us go, get us out, get us out of this mess back to England.

“We saw dog fights up in the air, hoping nothing would happen to us and we saw one or two terrible sights.

“Then somebody said, there’s Dover, that was when we saw the White Cliffs, the atmosphere was terrific.

“From hell to heaven was how the feeling was, you felt like a miracle had happened.”

After a period of recovery at an old First World War camp in Staffordshire, Mr Garrett was transferred to the 51st Highland Division and soon found himself in North Africa and promoted to Sergeant.

At El Alamein, his best friend Ebby Lee, who had survived Dunkirk with him, was hit by a shrapnel. Mr Garrett recalled: “I picked him up and I carried him the 150 yards back to the first aid post but he didn’t survive.”

Having chase Rommel out of Africa, Mr Garrett and his brother both took part in the landings at Sicily. Later Harry was scheduled to take part in the D-Day landings, but collapsed on the parade ground at Catterick with a burst ulcer.

After the war, Mr Garrett became a staunch supporter of the Royal British Legion, personally raising more than £60,000 for the Poppy Appeal.

He was still collecting outside Tesco's last November.

For some years, Mr Garrett has kept a watchful eye on the Pontoise Close play area for Sevenoaks Town Council, reporting at once any faults or concerns.

His vigilance has gained him the nick-name of ‘the Sheriff of Pontoise’.

By way of thanks for the service he has given both his town and his country, the council proposes to bestow him the honorary title of Freeman of Sevenoaks at a ceremony in May.