Waltzing D-day hero dies aged 96

A D-DAY veteran was still dancing the waltz just weeks before he died at the age of 96.

Henry Prescott, known as Harry, was just 21 when he landed on Sword Beach in Normandy on June 6, 1944, with the Royal Marines No47 Commando Unit.

He was one of only seven in his landing vessel who survived a blast from an enemy mine.

Despite his wartime experiences the veteran, from Swindon, Wilts, stayed positive and enjoyed holidays to the Canary Islands and Cyprus twice in his final months.

His close friend and carer, Sheila Brown, said: “He loved to dance the waltz. Even when we were away; I’ve got videos of him dancing not long before he died.

“He’s up there having a dance, I’m sure. He never gave up with anything. He was an incredible man, he really was.”

After his narrow D-day escape, Harry was soon back with his unit which helped retake Port-en-bessin in Operation Aubrey between June 7 and 8, 1944.

Harry’s unit went on to help liberate parts of the Netherlands, including recapturing the Dutch island of Walcheren near Antwerp.

Harry’s great-grandson Kevin Allen, from Swindon, said he always saw himself “as being very lucky”.

“He told a story once when he was in the sand dunes near the Antwerp estuary,” he said.

“He looked over to where his mates were, and all of a sudden there was a big bang and they were all gone.”

Born in Canada to English parents, Harry only got a British passport for the D-day commemorations in 2014 in France.

Speaking then, he said: “You do your training but when you get bombed on your first day and lose 20 people you think, ‘It’s the real thing – it’s not training any more.’”

Harry died on December 28, after suffering an inoperable stomach tumour for six months.