Scotland’s oldest surviving Desert Rat is getting ready to celebrate his 100th birthday this weekend.

Jimmy Sinclair fought against German forces led by Hitler's most feared general, Field Marshal Rommel, in North Africa during World War Two.

Over the years the pensioner has forged a friendship with Rommel’s son Manfred, the former Lord Mayor of Stuttgart. The pair met when Mr Sinclair moved to Germany in the 1980s and are now penpals.

Mr Sinclair, from Kirkcaldy, Fife, turns 100 on Saturday and says the secret of a long life is everything in moderation and a "wee pinch" of luck.

He said: "I don't feel that old, I'm just getting on a wee bit. But I didn't think I'd live to see the day I turned 100. People ask me what the secret to a long life is and I tell them everything in moderation. I think I've had a bit of luck here and there along the way mind you."

The 7th Armoured division, knows as Desert Rats, fought in every major North African battle and Mr Sinclair lost a lot of friends.

In 1953, He had a near miss himself when the truck Mr Sinclair was travelling in on a stretch of barren African desert took a direct hit from a German bomber but he escaped unscathed.

Born on August 18, 1912 in Giffordtown, Mr Sinclair was brought up by his grandparents following his mother’s death just a month after he was born. After leaving school he trained to become a slater and married wife Elizabeth in 1938 and they had a daughter, Olive.

Father's footsteps

Mr Sinclair decided to join the Desert Rats because he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father Thomas, who served in an artillery division in the First World War.

During his time in the division, Mr Sinclair fought in North Africa, Egypt, and Sicily and was involved in one of the most famous battles of WW2, The Battle of Monte Cassino, in Italy.

He won the African star, the Italian star and two other service medals for his efforts, but says he keeps them in a box and has never worn them.

After the war Mr Sinclair served for two years with the control commission in Berlin, before returning to Scotland to resume his work as a slater.

He moved to Germany in 1981 after his wife Elizabeth passed away and lived with friends he made after the war. He stayed there for 22 years before returning to Kirkcaldy when he was 92.

He now spends his spare time with his family and also has a friend that he likes to correspond with.

He revealed: "I'm a close acquaintance of Field Marshal Rommel's son Manfred, who is an important statesman in Germany and a former Lord Mayor of Stuttgart. I write him letters quite often."

He also has a couple of royal friends in tow as earlier in the year he was surprised with an early birthday tea from the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay and Cornwall.

The veteran was invited to Holyrood Palace and after chatting with Camilla, who is a patron of the Desert Rats, he discovered that Camilla's father Bruce Shand was an officer in Mr Sinclair’s division.

Mr Sinclair said: "They were lovely people, just normal like everyone else. They gave me a beautiful set of Caithness whisky glasses and a bottle of whisky which was very kind. I was treated like a lord in Holyrood Palace and it was very nice that everyone took such an interest in me."

Mr Sinclair is celebrating his birthday with family and friends at the Dean Park Hotel and they will be joined by the chairman of the 7th Armoured Division.