LONDON (AFP) - Europe's oldest man, World War I veteran Henry Allingham, marked his 112th birthday on Friday by enjoying a flypast of fighter aircraft from the Battle of Britain. The Briton watched from a wheelchair as a vintage Lancaster bomber flanked by two Spitfires roared over a Royal Air Force base in Lincolnshire, eastern England. Born in 1896, when queen Victoria was on the British throne and the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Allingham saw active service in the Battle of Jutland in World War I and was one of the first members of the RAF. In civilian life, he worked for carmaker Ford. Now resident in a care home for blind former military personnel, he said he struggled to explain why he was still in good health. "I don't think there's a particular reason. The only thing I can say is all my life I have lived within my limitations, take life slowly, don't get any stress or strains. The more birthdays I enjoy the longer I live. "People ask me how I've done it, and I just say that I look forward to another tomorrow." Eight of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and their partners travelled from their homes in the United States for the occasion. David Gray, 59, who lives in Michigan, said his grandfather was "remarkable." "Not only has he lived to this long but he has still got his mental faculties intact. Our whole family are very proud of him and we keep track of him on the Internet and also through media coverage," he said. Allingham's wife of 51 years, Dorothy, died in 1970, a decade after he retired. His close friend Dennis Goodwin, who founded an association for World War I veterans, paid tribute to Allingham's zest for life. "He is simply an incredible man. Each year we think that maybe this will be his last but he just seems to carry on regardless."