103 year old Royal Navy veteran from Bexhill issues words of hope during coronavirus crisis

Harry Waddingham, from Collington, describes himself as ‘fit’ and still does his daily exercise during lockdown.

He is also a church steward at St Peter’s Church in Bexhill.

Born in 1916, Harry served from the first to the last day of World War II in the Royal Navy, in which he was a Physical Training Instructor, mostly on destroyers.

Harry served in the Royal Navy from 1932 rising from able seaman to sub lieutenant. Of the six ships he served on, two were sunk during his time on them. On the 29 May 1940 HMS Wakeful was picking up soldiers from Dunkirk beach evacuation when she was hit by a torpedo from a German E-boat.

Wakeful was split in two with the forward part sinking immediately. Only one of the 640 soldiers survived with 25 of the ship’s company - Harry being one of them.

A year later Harry was on HMS Juno of Crete on the 21 May when she was under high level bombing attack by five Italian aircraft and hit by three bombs which split the ship in two, sinking her in two minutes.

Harry continued to serve on HMS Mendip and Cumberland, protecting convoys and involved in various landing operations. He later moved on to instructing Royal Naval Air Service pilots in parachute landing over water.

Here is Harry’s poem:

In 1920 I started school.

By 2020 I’d learned a rule -

‘sufficient to the day - is the evil thereof!’

So batten down -’till the heat is off.

Through plagues and wars -though sore beset

This nation’s faced the trials we’ve met.

And when the final battle’s won

Returned to normal with tea and bun.

Viruses may come and go

bring worry, sadness and much woe,

But resilience, humour and good sense -

eventually leads to providence.

This insidious evil - corona scourge

Has brought our nation to the verge

But we’ll survive through God’s good grace

So smile and make a happy face.