BRITAIN’S oldest war veteran – Ted Lasso actress Hannah Waddingham’s grandad – has died, age 109.
Royal Navy gunner Harry Waddingham became the UK’s oldest surviving WWII veteran last July following the death of 110-year-old Donald Rose.
Harry joined the Navy at the age of 16 in 1932, and served throughout the war as a gunner and physical training instructor (PTI) onboard the Hunt Class destroyer HMS Mendip.
Announcing his death, the East Sussex Branch of the Royal Navy Association said Harry was “Truly one of the last of our greatest generation.
“He lived a long and full life and he will be greatly missed. RIP Shipmate, your duty is done, we have the watch.”
During last year’s Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance, his proud granddaughter Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham paid a moving tribute to her war hero granddad who served on six ships.
Throughout his service Harry rose from the rank of able seaman to sub lieutenant.
He was torpedoed twice while serving on Navy ships and on both occasions was thrown into the sea.
In 1940, during the evacuation of from Dunkirk beach, Harry served on HMS Wakeful – which was hit by a torpedo from a German E-boat.
The ship was split in two with the forward part sinking immediately.
Recalling it Harry said: “Really you never slept and my memory of those days was constant tiredness.
“And hardly being able to stand.
“But suddenly there was a bang and the ship went down.
“Those who were on the outer part of the upper deck must have been catapulted into the air and dropped into the sea.
“There were 600 soldiers plus a ship’s crew of about 200.
“Only those on the upper deck survived.”
Only four of the soldiers who were rescued from the beach by the ship survived, with just 25 of the ship’s crew surviving – Harry being one of them.
Harry ended up in the sea and was later rescued from the water by another destroyer.
A year later the war hero was on HMS Juno during the evacuation of Crete when the ship was bombarded by enemy aircraft.
Three bombs from German and Italian planes struck direct hits on Juno – sinking her in just two minutes.
Harry recalled: “I didn’t like the Juno.
“I was only on there as a replacement for somebody, I was only on it about six months.
“We were in the evacuation of Crete and it’s hard to imagine it now but we were bringing back a ship load of soldiers.
“We were sunk by flights and flights of German and Italian aircraft. We were we were taking people from Crete to Alexandria in Egypt.
“On the way back we were sunk again by huge air attacks and the ship just turned over again. I was always a gunner on the upper deck.
“It wasn’t the most comfortable position but if the ship was going to sink it was a good place to be.”
Some 116 men were killed in the sinking of the Juno with Harry being one of just 104 survivors.
War hero Harry would also serve in the North Sea aboard HMS Mendip as a member of a gun crew and on north Atlantic and Russian convoys.
At the end of the war, having obtained a degree in marine physics, Harry was discharged from the navy with the rank of lieutenant.
He went on to become a school teacher before being posted with the RAF educational wing.
On retiring from the air force he had achieved the rank of squadron leader.
He would go on to teach at Archbishop Tenison’s School in Croydon, London, where he ran the military cadets.
During his time as a teacher he moved to Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, where he passed away.
