Auschwitz survivor, 100, still selling poppies in Welsh supermarket
Auschwitz survivor Ron Jones, who turned 100 this year, admits he has become "a bit of a celebrity" after more than three decades as a poppy seller.
The former soldier, who spent two and a half years in the Nazi concentration camp before being forced on a 'death march' across Europe, has been collecting for the Poppy Appeal since 1981.
"I've been selling poppies for about 30 years... every year for a fortnight, practically every day," he said.
"I like to do a lot for the British Legion as we help dependants, we help the boys coming back from Afghanistan.
"If they need help, I'm there. I've made as much as £15,000 occasionally, but normally we get up to nine or ten thousand."
The grandfather of two, from Newport, admitted that he has become "a bit of a celebrity" at his sales pitch, with one woman driving from London to Newport to buy a poppy from him.
"She put £20 in my box, that's what happens," he said.
Mr Jones' fame is set to increase next month when a film called The Poppy Seller, which features him, is released. He has donated the payment for his appearance to The Royal British Legion.
Mr Jones, who turned 100 in April, was captured in Benghazi, Libya, in 1942 and was transferred to Auschwitz where he worked alongside Jewish slave labourers at IG Farben's infamous chemical factory.
In 1945, he was forced to join a 'death march' in which "we lost about 100 blokes who died on the road".
"I was on the death march from Poland back to Austria," he said, which entailed "17 weeks on the road, pulling vans at night time and bitterly cold, no food".
He was freed by US troops and returned home to his wife Gladys in May 1945, having dropped from 13st to 7st.
The pensioner, whose wife died in 2005, said the Legion had been there for his friends who returned home after the war and needed help.
Lynne Woodyatt, community fundraiser for The Royal British Legion, called Mr Jones "a legend".
"He's one of our key volunteers and an ambassador for the appeal... He does supermarket collections for us, he's quite a celebrity. The young generation love to interact with him and he loves to get them involved."
Despite reaching 100, Ron says he has no intention of taking it easy and stopping his fundraising efforts.
