Goodbye John - the humble war veteran who spent his life helping others
HERO: John Ainsworth making his point to Prince Charles
Normandy veteran John Ainsworth has passed away. Kevin Shoesmith visited the family
John Ainsworth’s daughter sobs as she watches him tell of the part he played in bringing peace to Europe.
We’re in Wendy Darnell’s living room.
Grainy, original footage of the Normandy Landings in June 1944 play over John’s soft, wavering voice.
A few days ago, Wendy and her family joined Hull’s veteran community in bidding farewell to highly-regarded John Ainsworth, a prominent veteran and staunch Labour supporter who died at the age of 98.
The video, uploaded to YouTube, was recorded by Labour during the build-up to the 2016 Brexit referendum.
John, a firm ‘Remainer’ and trade unionist, landed on the beaches seven days after D-Day and lost comrades during fierce fighting in the final months of the war, in particular around the French city of Caen.
Wendy, 62, says: “Because of how hard he had fought, Dad definitely felt that countries should work together as one, supporting each other through good and bad times. I think he thought, ‘Why ruin that?’
“I feel sadness and I’m getting upset looking at this video. But I’m also extremely proud – proud at what his generation achieved.”
John – and he always insisted on being called John whenever I spoke to him, never Mr Ainsworth – was born in 1921 in Dunston, Gateshead, to a family of soap-makers. He was brother to three older sisters. John followed in his father’s footsteps and joined Dunston Soap Works, but life had another plan.
TRIBUTE: John Ainsworth at at the grave of a fallen friend
In May 1939, aged 18, he joined the Territorial Army as part of National Service requirements. When war was declared in the September, he joined the Fourth Durham Survey Regiment – part of the Royal Artillery. He became part of a special unit called the First Independent Sound Ranging Unit in Kent, where he was witness to the Battle of Britain.
At the end of 1943, in preparation for the Normandy landings, he joined the newly-formed 10th Royal Survey Regiment, also part of the Royal Artillery. The unit was relocated to Hessle, where he was to meet the love of his life, Rene, to whom he is survived. Before leaving East Yorkshire, he proposed to her.
“She initially said no,” laughs Wendy. “Well, she wanted to be sure!”
Family and friends gathered at Haltemprice Crematorium in Willerby for his funeral laughed as they heard granddaughter Kathryn Gray tell how John stalled the engine of his vehicle, which was supposed to have been first off the landing craft.
John was involved in Operation Epson – the attack on Caen – whilst attached to 11th Armoured Division. He rebutted any suggested he was a hero, always insisting that title belonged to people like his good friend, Bombardier Peter McGrady, who was killed in action, aged 33, on July 21st, 1944.
During letter exchanges, with John now fighting his way towards Germany, Rene finally accepted his proposal. But the couple would have to wait until the spring of 1946 before they could tie the knot at All Saint’s Church in Hessle. John used his clothing coupons so that Rene’s mother had material to make the dress.
Following demob, John found work as a trainee surveyor for the Ordnance Survey in Harrogate, before later joining Hull City Council in the City Architects department as a surveyor working on social housing schemes.
Then followed a long spell, until his retirement in 1984, with the British Transport Docks Board, now Associated British Ports. During this time, he proudly served for six years on the executive of the Transport Salaried Staff Association.
During the 1960s and 70s, John became politically active. He was elected as a Beverley Borough Councillor and also served as a Humberside County Councillor. Throughout this period, he was successful in his bids for a new library in Hessle, two state-run nursery schools and the pedestrianisation of Prestongate.
It’s clear he never lost his sense of duty.
VETERAN: John Ainsworth
In 2016, many of those he helped were among the hundreds to send ‘get-well’ cards while recovering in hospital after suffering leg problems.
“Dad was really taken aback by it all,” says Wendy. “He was bowled over, actually. I really believe that it helped him recover.”
Following John’s funeral, the congregation made their way to Ryder Club, off Hessle Road, where stories were shared.
“He would have approved,” says Wendy. “It was a good knees-up, as he would have said. It was not being sad. It was about realising what Dad had achieved during his 98 years.”
Wendy told how even Prince Charles, during a chance meeting with her father in Normandy, failed to evade his wagging finger.
“I burst out laughing when I saw it,” she says, referring to a photograph taken of the incident. “There he was, wagging that finger of his at the next in line to the throne. Mum always said, ‘One day I’ll cut that finger of yours off!”
John is survived by his wife Rene, their children Paul, Alyn and Wendy, niece Barbara – who was brought up by John and Rene and considered a second daughter – grandchildren Sarah, James, Chris, Sian and Kathryn and great-grandchildren, Alexa and Libby.
Speaking to us from Wendy’s iPhone, John makes a final plea: “We have had 70 years of prosperity and freedom. We have been able to come and go as we please. We have seen places develop; schools built. This is not the time to leave….this is the time to work together and fight together these terrorists.”
He closes with: “Europe has been good to me.”
