Harry Read OF, ChLH (17 May 1924 – 14 December 2021), was a soldier in The Parachute Regiment in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

who ended his life as a

Commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...

the Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...

, the second highest rank attainable by

Officers An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

in the organisation. He also served as the Territorial Commander of East Australia and was Chief Secretary for the Salvation Army in Canada.
��‘Inspirational commissioner is promoted to Glory', Salvation Army News online, 21 December 2021
D-Day veteran Harry Read dies aged 97, BBC News, 19 January 2022

Early life

Read was born on 17 May 1924 into a The Salvation Army, Salvation Army family. His grandfather George Read (1838–1924) was an early member of the Salvation Army having been converted in

Hartlepool Hartlepool () is a seaside and port town in County Durham, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Borough of Hartlepool. With an estimated population of 90,123, it is the second-largest settlement in County ...

under the ministry of evangelist James Dowdle (1840-1900), the ‘saved railway guard’, who had been sent by

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

William Booth William Booth (10 April 182920 August 1912) was an English Methodist preacher who, along with his wife, Catherine, founded the Salvation Army and became its first "General" (1878–1912). His 1890 book In Darkest England and The Way Out outli ...

to the north of England to "win converts and open Mission Stations." Read’s father (1895–1943) was a Corps Sergeant Major in the Salvation Army. His mother had been a convert into the ranks of the Salvation Army during her teenage years.
Interview with Commissioner Harry Read, Salvation Army 'Barmy Army' webpage As a youth Read joined the Salvation Army's Singing Company and YP Band, but he developed leanings towards the Methodist Church of Great Britain, Methodist Church. Reluctantly, his parents allowed him to leave the Salvation Army in order to join the Methodist Church. Read had a conversion experience in 1939, just after the start of

, becoming a Methodist Local Preacher. In 1940 aged 16 he became a ‘Local Preacher on note’, meaning he was mentored by an older and more experienced Local Preacher whom he would accompany and assist during his Sunday preaching engagements.

Wartime service

During

, Read volunteered for military service with the

in 1942 aged 18. His father, a veteran of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

had refused to sign his enlistment papers before that date. By 1944 Read was a 20-year-old

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communi ...

wireless operator. Serving as a member of the 3rd Parachute Brigade of the 6th Airborne Division from 1943, he jumped into

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

in June 1944. A parachuting injury prevented Read from undertaking further jumps and he was returned to an ordinary Signals unit. In June 1947 Read was demobilised from the British Army on the completion of his military service and, rediscovering his enthusiasm for the Salvation Army, in August 1947 he entered the Kings Messengers Session of Cadets at the International Training College in London. On receiving his commission he served in several British corps and divisional appointments and was on the staff at the International Training College and was Principal from 1978-81. Read was to serve as an Officer in the Salvation Army for the rest of his life, rising to the rank of Commissioner. In addition to being a passionate Salvationist Read was also a family man; in 1950 he married Salvationist Winifred ''née'' Humphries (1924-2007) with whom he had two children, John and Margaret, in addition to four grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren.

Later life and death

In 2016, Read was awarded the Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur for his part in the liberation of France in June 1944; while in July 2019 he was awarded The Salvation Army’s most prestigious honour – the

Order of the Founder In 1917, five years after the death of the founder of the Salvation Army William Booth, his son, General Bramwell Booth, inaugurated the Order of the Founder to recognise Salvationists who had rendered distinguished service, such as would have spe ...

. In 2019, aged 95, Read completed a tandem parachute jump with the Parachute Regiment's Red Devils Display Team, landing safely on the same Drop Zone as he had done during World War II exactly 75 years earlier. Read died at his home in

Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...

on 14 December 2021, at the age of 97. On his death Commissioner of the Salvation Army Anthony Cotterill said of Read: "The Salvation Army and its worldwide ministry have been enriched beyond words by the remarkable service of Commissioner Harry Read. A bold, caring and innovative leader who challenged us all to be brave and to dare greater things for Jesus Christ. His legacy of poems and songs is a treasure trove of inspiration and insight that will continue to help us in the days ahead."

References

External links

Commissioner Harry Read- Willing to learn
{{DEFAULTSORT:Read, Harry 1924 births 2021 deaths Knights of the Legion of Honour Royal Corps of Signals soldiers British Army personnel of World War II British Parachute Regiment soldiers Commissioners in The Salvation Army Military personnel from Bournemouth Salvation Army officers