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The tragic death of a Doncaster soldier who lost his life just days after arriving in France during the D-Day landings has been retold as part of a moving ITV memorial commemorating the 80th anniversary of the event.

Bombardier Harry Clark was just 23 when he died in Normandy in June 1944 as part of the massive air, land and sea invasion of Northern France which proved to be the turning point in World War Two and eventually led to the downfall of Nazi Germany.

Historian and TV presenter Natasha Billson took former military man Harry Clark, winner of the last series of TV’s The Traitors to France to hear the story of his namesake.

As the pair paid their respects at the British Normandy Memorial as part of ITV’s D-Day 80 at The Royal Albert Hall programme, Natasha pointed out Bombardier Clark’s name on the memorial and revealed newspaper clippings of his death on June 9, 1944.

Harry Clark, star of The Traitors, learned about the death of his namesake as part of a D-Day memorial programme on ITV.

It described the Royal Artillery man as the second son of Mr and Mrs Clark of Royston Avenue, Bentley.

The Doncaster Gazette of June 29, 1944 reported: “A letter containing the news said Bombardier Clark was an example of courage to his comrades,” and described him as a Kirkby Avenue schoolboy and brick layer.

Harry told Natasha: “It’s made me speechless to be fair. That’s the only difference between me and him – eight years.”

The programme, hosted by Davina McCall and featuring a host of moving readings and music, can be watched in full at ITVX HERE

D-Day 80: Death of Doncaster soldier retold in moving ITV memorial from Royal Albert Hall

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