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EXETER, England, April 7 (UPI) -- A tortoise who was a veteran of fighting ships and German air raids has died at his home in a British castle at the age of 160, the BBC said Wednesday.

Timothy, or Timmy to friends, is believed to have been the oldest living Mediterranean Spur-Thighed tortoise in existence until his passing last weekend.

He was first discovered on board a Portuguese vessel in 1854, and served as a mascot on a number of Royal Navy ships, including service in the Crimean War.

He was brought ashore in 1892 and moved to his own garden at Powderham Castle, near Exeter. His most recent inherited owner is Lady Gabrielle Courtenay, 91, who said Timmy will be buried at a family plot on the estate.

"You could call him, and he would come and say hello and have a strawberry," she said, adding he seemed to recognize different people's voices.

During World War II, he was seen digging his own bomb shelter under some steps when bombs hitting Exeter shook the ground.

Last summer, he was so active in the garden, staff had to put panels on his old shell to prevent sunburn, the report said.

"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader