A party was held in his honour at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, with military veterans and dignitaries from across New Zealand coming to see the man of the hour.
Mr Hermanns said he was in a “state of daze” at his birthday party, and was surprised more than 120 people turned up just for him.
“There were people and lights all around, but I can’t see hardly at all, and my hearing without aids is almost nil,” he said.
Mr Hermanns served as an aircraft engineer in World War 2, and in his downtime he would create jewellery out of plastic materials from broken plane windscreens.
When he returned from serving in Vanuatu in 1943, he collected paua shells and took them on his next tour to the Solomon Islands, where he created more jewellery.
His collection of ‘trench art’ is on display at the museum.
Mr Hermanns could be the oldest man in New Zealand, while Shirley’s Nina Brown, who celebrated her 108th birthday last week, is thought to be the oldest New Zealander.
But Mr Hermanns didn’t have a secret to reaching 108.
“I can’t say it feels any different, but it is different from most people,” he said.
He enjoyed getting “decorated up” in a shirt and tie for his birthday but said the day was quite strenuous.
“I don’t want another one [birthday] for a while,” Mr Hermanns said.
The Minister of Defence and Veterans Ron Mark, Mayor Lianne Dalziel, the Air Force chief were in attendance, among other dignitaries.
Mr Hermanns neighbour and carer Mike Beard also spoke at the party and said Mr Hermanns was firm on his preference to stay in his own home for as long as possible.
“Come what may, he wants to live in his own home for the rest of his life,” Mr Beard said.
Mr Hermanns had help cutting his birthday cake from the current youngest serving Air Force member, 18-year-old Hamish Batchelor.
Mr Batchelor said it was “pretty special” to stand alongside a veteran who is 90 years older than him.
“Most people don’t get to do this in their life,” he said.
