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Fire service chiefs have held a special party for a 105-year-old former Clerkenwell firefighter who tackled blazes during Second World War air-raids.

John “Jack” Corbett, who is believed to be the oldest living fire service veteran in the world, enlisted in the London Auxillary Fire Service and was stationed at Clerkenwell Fire Station when the broke out.

He had moved to London from Woking to work for Pugh Bros, a Clerkenwell glass warehouse in St John Street, where he also lived.

Jack was responsible mainly for Clerkenwell but also for protecting St Paul’s Cathedral during the Luftwaffe raids. He had access to the entire St Paul’s structure and once climbed up to the dome at the top of the iconic building to survey the damage suffered by the capital during the Blitz. Jack also recalls narrowly escaping a bomb which landed on the building next to the fire station.

Public opinion of the fire service changed significantly during the war. Firefighters had been thought of as “army dodgers” but in 1940 this attitude changed and they became known as the “heroes with grimy faces”. At that time there were 80 fire stations across London. Clerkenwell was closed in 2012.

In 1941 Jack was accepted into the fire brigade as a professional firefighter before all brigades were nationalised later that year. After the war, Jack transferred to Fortis Green fire station and later Hornsey, before retiring in 1965.

Family and friends, representatives from London Fire Brigade Retired Members Association, Essex Fire and Rescue and London Fire Brigade, including Deputy Assistant Commissioner Allen Perez, visited Jack at his care home in Essex as part of LFB’s 150th anniver­sary celebrations. He is the oldest living person to have served with LFB.

Jack’s daughter, Pamela Shrimpton, said: “He was and still is a firefighter through and through.

“He had a real devotion to duty and was always proud to wear his uniform.

“Although he rarely talked about it, he never forgot those tough times during the London Blitz.

“He saw lives ended and family homes destroyed on a nightly basis, and he always reminded us how fortunate we were to have survived.”

Mr Perez added: “Firefighters today follow in the footsteps of people such as Jack and share the same dedication to keeping the people of London safe.

“While we reflect on Jack’s career, it is important to remember all the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives while serving in the Brigade over the last 150 years.”