Hannah Waddingham's grandad and Britain's oldest war veteran dies at 109

Hannah Waddingham's grandad has died. Harry Waddingham was one of the UK's oldest surviving World War II veterans, following the death of Donald Rose, aged 110, in July last year.

Royal Navy gunner, Harry, was 109. The news of his death was shared by the East Sussex Branch of the Royal Navy Association. In an announcement, they said: "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." Mr Waddingham joined the Navy aged just 16 in 1932 and served throughout the conflict as a gunner and physical training instructor on board HMS Mendip.

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Last year, Ted Lasso star Hannah paid tribute to her grandfather during the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance. "I join you tonight, with endless thanks for all who served," Hannah said. While becoming emotional, she added: "Including my own grandfather. Harry Waddingham, who at 109 still shares with me memories from his time in the Royal Navy, they are stories I will truly treasure all my life. He's at home this evening, and I am, of course, thinking of you, grandad, and all the veterans watching from their living rooms."

Over the course of his military career, Harry served from the rank of able seaman up to lieutenant. During the war, he was torpedoed twice and on both occasions, was hurled into the sea. During the evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940, Harry served on HMS Wakeful, which was eventually attacked by a torpedo from a German E-boat, with the ship splitting in two and partially sinking.

"Really you never slept and my memory of those days was constant tiredness," Harry previously said. He added: "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." Sadly, only four servicemen who were rescued by the ship survived, with 25 members of the crew from the ship, including Harry, surviving the attack.

After becoming lost at sea, Harry was rescued by another ship. A year later, he found himself on HMS Juno throughout the evacuation of Crete. It was during this time that the ship was bombed. Three bombs, from German and Italian forces, struck Juno. The ship sank within two minutes.

Harry, however, never liked the Juno, insisting he was only on the ship for six months as "a replacement for somebody". "We were sunk by flights and flights of German and Italian aircraft. We were taking people from Crete to Alexandria in Egypt," he said.

Reflecting on his position as a gunner, Harry said it "wasn't the most comfortable position", but if it came to the ship sinking, he had an advantage due to being on the upper deck of the vessel.