Captain Tom raises over £30m for NHS on 100th birthday and is promoted to colonel

Captain Tom Moore has been given the title of honorary colonel on his 100th birthday, for his record-breaking efforts raising over £30 million for the NHS.

On his 100th birthday, Colonel Tom's other gifts included a RAF flypast of World War Two planes which flew in his honour over the garden where he walked 100 laps to raise money for the NHS.

His JustGiving page was inundated with donations on the morning of his birthday as people rushed to increase his fundraising total from £29 million to the milestone figure of £30 million.

Just after 9am on 30 April, Colonel Tom succeeded in raising £30 million for the NHS.

His fundraising page has been crashing repeatedly since he launched his campaign to raise £1,000 for the NHS only three weeks ago.

Over 150,000 birthday cards

After watching the Spitfire and Hurricane planes flying above him, he said he remembers during the war the planes “flying in anger” but today they were “flying in peace”.

As a single fundraiser, he has raised more money than anyone else for any cause launched on the JustGiving website.

The veteran received over 150,000 birthday cards which have included donations of £60,000. His birthday cards were opened by volunteers at a special sorting office set up at his grandson’s school.

Colonel Tom has also become a pop star having topped the UK charts with a No.1 single featuring a duet with Michael Ball.

Their cover version of ‘You'll Never Walk Alone’ sold 82,000 copies, with proceeds going to the NHS Charities Together fund.

'We will win through in the end'

He said of the current UK lockdown: “It may be difficult, it may take time but we will win through in the end.”

A train has even been named after the lockdown legend after requests from the public. The Great Western Railway (GWR) intercity express train 800025 started its maiden voyage bearing Tom Moore's name on his 100th birthday.

The high-speed train will carry key workers to and from work.

Born in Keighley, West Yorkshire, Captain Tom enlisted in 145 Regiment Royal Armoured Corps at the start of WWII. Rising to the rank of Captain, he served in India and Burma.

In a birthday message from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the PM told WWII veteran: “Your heroic efforts have lifted the spirits of the entire nation. You’ve now inspired the most incredible generosity”.

The veteran did not leave his house in the village of Marston Moretaine in Bedfordshire to celebrate his birthday.

Of his plans for the next few days, Colonel Tom said: “I’m going to have one or two days doing nothing.”