Commissioner Harry Read

UK Salvation Army leader and war veteran raised thousands for charity and parachuted into Normandy during D-Day anniversary commemorations aged 95

“At whatever age we are, we are more than capable of shrinking from something that we feel is beyond us. But, I believe we should not withdraw from a challenge, yesterday is not our best, our best is tomorrow.”

Those were the words of the former head of The Salvation Army in the UK, Commissioner Harry Read, ahead of his skydive at the age 95 in June 2019.

Harry’s skydive into Sannerville, Normandy with the Red Devils as part of the 75th D-Day anniversary commemorations was notable not least due to his age, but also due to the more than £20,000 he raised to support The Salvation Army’s work with survivors of modern slavery.

After his skydive Harry met a fellow D-Day veteran, Paul Golz, who had been fighting for Germany. During their meeting Harry told Paul: “Once we were on a different side but we are partners together in the rebuilding of the world.” And at the end of their meeting, Paul Golz said to Harry, “we are friends” to which Harry responded, “We are more than that, we are brothers.”

Harry served as the British Commissioner of The Salvation Army in the UK between 1987 and 1990, The Salvation Army equivalent at the time to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and was also Territorial Commander of East Australia between 1984 and 1987. He also served as Chief Secretary for The Salvation Army in Canada. Harry was a keen member of the scouts as a boy and felt that was formative in developing his leadership skills as an adult.
As a 20-year-old Royal Corps of Signals wireless operator serving the renowned Brigadier James Hill in World War Two, Harry was part of the 3rd Parachute Brigade of the 6th Airborne Division, landing in Normandy on D-Day 77 years ago.
Harry had seen veterans taking part in skydives previously, and after visiting the Normandy battlefields on an anniversary tour in 2018, he was inspired to try one for himself. Ahead of his skydive for the 75-year anniversary of D-Day, Harry decided to try a practice dive a little closer to home and booked into The Old Sarum Airfield in Salisbury on 14 September 2018 to do a test jump. 

In 2016, Harry was awarded France’s honour, the Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur, for the role he played in the country’s liberation from the Nazis in June 1944. In July 2019 Harry was awarded The Salvation Army’s highest honour, The Order of the Founder.

Ahead of his skydive in 2019, Commissioner Harry told the Press Association: 
“I will enjoy the jump. There are very real and definite pleasures in parachuting. It might be a little bit tricky, but I’m willing to have a go.
But also in my heart I will be thinking of my mates. I get very moved when I think about them. I have lived one of the most fulfilled lives that it’s possible for a person to live and they haven’t."

“I will stand in that cemetery and I will be speechless and I’ll weep.”

Harry Read passed away on Tuesday, December 14 at the age of 97. As well as a passionate Salvationist, he was very proud of his family and leaves behind two children John and Margaret. 4 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren.

His family are asking for donations to be made in his memory to The Salvation Army’s Survivors Support Fund for survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery Survivors Support Fund and towards the work that Winton Corps undertakes amongst people dealing with homelessness.