Skip to content

Harry Waddingham: 'There was a bang and our ship went down'

As he tried to evacuate hundreds of troops from the French coast in 1940, Harry Waddingham's ship was struck.

"Suddenly there was a bang and the ship went down," he said.

Many died, but Harry survived the attack.

Throughout the war served on HMS Mendip patrolling the North Sea.

We Were There aims to collect as many first-hand accounts as possible by 2025, the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, to preserve veterans' accounts for future generations.

The BBC is currently working on the project with a number of partners including the Normandy Memorial Trust and Royal British Legion. Some of the stories collected may be shared with our partners and used on BBC News platforms.

If you have a story to share, or know someone who does, please click here to tell us a little bit more or use one of the methods below.

Do you or someone you know have memories of World War Two? Please share these experiences by emailing [email protected].

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: