A 102-year-old World War Two veteran who was among the first soldiers ashore on D-Day will be the guest of honour at a play at Southport Little Theatre this Saturday (2nd March 2024).
Harry Howorth was a Signaller serving with The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry when he came ashore at Sword Beach in Normandy in France on 6th June 1944 as part of the Allied efforts to liberate Europe from Hitler’s Nazis.
He will be accompanied by his daughter, Edna English, at Saturday’s performance of Pressure, a drama production written by David Haig, performed by Southport Dramatic Club and directed by Michèle Martin.
Based on true events that took place during World War II, Pressure centres on the true story of James Stagg and the weather forecasts that determined the date of the D-Day landings as part of Operation Overlord. The personal and military stresses of Stagg, the tensions between the teams with different weather forecasts for the date of the proposed D-Day, and the events of the 72 hours leading up to D-Day are explored throughout the play.
Harry and Edna are delighted to be invited to the play as special guests having recently returned from a visit to Normandy.
While there, Harry vividly recognised the beach where he came ashore, Sword Beach – “you never forget” he said – and helped to uncover a forgotten German gun emplacement that he and his comrades had attacked on the morning of 6th June.
Harry said: “We really enjoyed our visit. We stayed with a lovely couple who showed us around and really looked after us. They were incredible. I can’t thank them enough, they were very kind to us.
“I am also very grateful to the people who look after the war graves over in France.
“The London Taxi Drivers Charity were fantastic too.”
D-Day is a time Harry will never forget, when there were an estimated 10,000 Allied casualties on the first day alone.
He said: “D-Day really was the longest day.
“I was the third one ashore from our landing craft.
“I just kept my head down and kept running forwards!
“I have many memories of that time. I remember on the night of D-Day, the General from 2nd Division came over and shook my hand and said ‘well done’. The next day, he was dead. We lost so many people.
“We could have taken Caen with a Platoon if we’d moved fast – but we were told to dig in and wait, and we lost the opportunity.”
Accompanied by Edna and his great granddaughter, Kerry Dewhurst, he discovered the old German bunker he and his comrades had attacked on D-Day, which had been lost to nature.
This Saturday he will be the very special guest invited to see Pressure at Southport Little Theatre.
He said: “I am looking forward to seeing the show.
“I was a season ticket holder at Southport Little Theatre for many years. I have seen many fine productions there.”
After D-Day, Harry and his comrades carried on fighting through France.
Two months later, one of his friends, Major Peter Wheelock, aged 27, was wounded and later died.
Harry went to pay his respects at his grave in France.
He said: “He was just a couple of years older than me. He wasn’t married.
“He was shot in a field of corn and was wounded.
“I thought he would live. But he just passed away in the night in a field hospital and he was gone.
“We carried on fighting our way through Europe. We fought through France; through Holland; and into Germany.
“After that we were ordered over to serve in Palestine, flying first tio Cairo West in the bomb bay of an RAF Lancaster. That was the worst place because you didn’t know where your enemy was going to come at you from and when.
“I was there over Christmas and managed to go into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Midnight Mass which was very special.
“After the Armed Forces I returned to Southport and resumed my career as a heating engineer working for Hayes Brothers.
“I have lived in Southport all my life and love living here.
“I definitely want to go back to Normandy for the 80th anniversary.”
Harry, who lives in Southport, was recently awarded the Legion D’Honneur by the French Government for his heroism in Normandy and beyond.
He is a popular figure within the local community, often joining former comrades of all ages at the weekly Tuesday morning SSAFA gatherings at the Cleveland Cafe on Lord Street in Southport town centre.
On 29th September last year he was a VIP guest of honour when Princess Anne visited Southport to rededicate Southport War Memorial 100 years since it was unveiled.
- Pressure is on at 7.30pm on Saturday 2nd March 2024 at Southport Little Theatre. For tickets visit: littletheatresouthport.co.uk
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