FAMILY, friends and members of Warrington’s Armed Forces Community Hub have bid a fond farewell to 96-year-old Harold Lynch, one of the town’s last remaining D-Day heroes, who sadly died shortly before the 75th VE Day celebrations.
Harold who served with the Westminster Dragoons and was one of the first to land on the Normandy beaches, was a keen supporter of the Armed Forces Community Support Hub and attended whenever he could each Friday for their Breakfast Club.
Harold’s funeral took place on Monday and was attended by direct family and members of the Armed Forces Community Hub, who carried the Standard to pay their respects to a D-Day veteran.
Unfortunately due to social distancing Harold could not have the send off that he deserved.
Harold’s life was in two parts, pre-war and post war. A 1920’s/1930’s upbringing was pretty grim for Harold with little chance of a decent job unless you were working in the pits. The war changed Harold in many, many ways. He chose tanks and found himself one of the very first onto the beaches in Normandy. Harold trained for this role down South and met Joan which was a very bright light in very dark days. After the beach landings he was lucky enough to win a lottery which allowed Harold to return to the UK for a 5 day leave pass, so Harold being Harold married the love of his life Joan.
After the war Harold set up his own business with his brother Albert, bought his own house in Culcheth, chose good schools for his children and was easily recognised driving his wagon delivering coal.
Harold’s three children all went to University (as did his 6 grandchildren) and have successful lives. Harold’s mindset was always to provide for his family with one of sayings to them “This is the way I operate and it will not change, because I am right!”
Harold took great pride in his children and grandchildren in that he could sit back and watch them grow knowing he had been right all along. Harold’s way might have been formed on the battlefields of France and Germany but together with Joan they did a pretty good job all told!
In recent years Harold spent his final years at Heathside Mews and discovered a talent for singing and eating chocolate!
During the D-Day landings Harold would have driven a Sherman ‘Crab’ pictured below demonstrating the effectiveness of its design in clearing beach obstacles.
The Germans planted over four million mines along the French coast to hinder the Allied landings in 1944.
To break through these defences, the British produced a number of novel armoured fighting vehicles under the ingenious direction of Major General Percy Hobart, among them the Sherman Crab. The Crab bore a rotating drum with dozens of chains attached; these detonated mines in the tank’s path to produce a beaten passage through the thickest of minefields.
The WDs were trained in this vital task, as part of 79th (Experimental) Armoured Division, led by Hobart. They and the specially-adapted armoured vehicles of the Royal Engineers were the very first units ashore on D-Day at Gold Beach in the British sector, clearing paths off the beaches and using their tank guns to destroy defences holding up the assault.
They went on to fight across northwest Europe and into Germany during 1944 and 1945, achieving a number of battle honours and assisting in the liberation of the Belsen concentration camp.
Harold (left) at a Remembrance Day event
