A video of 104-year-old Donald Howkins visiting Enfield War Memorial on VE Day has racked up nearly 100,000 views

Donald Howkins at Enfield War Memorial on VE Day (credit Oakland Care via TikTok)

A Second World War hero from Enfield has become a star on TikTok after his care home filmed his emotional visit to Enfield War Memorial on VE Day.

The video of D-Day veteran Donald Howkins, aged 104, paying tribute to his friends “who never came home” has been viewed nearly 100,000 times on the social media platform since being posted last week.

Although Donald was unable to join the official wreath-laying ceremony for the 80th anniversary of VE Day last Thursday (8th), his Forty Hill care home Elsyng House, run by Oakland Care, arranged transport for him to visit later on and captured the moment on camera.

In the video, after being asked what VE Day means to him, Donald says: “It means remembering good friends, who never came back.”

Fighting back tears, he adds: “I hope people don’t forget. I won’t be here much longer but I will always remember my friends.”

In response one person, in the comments under the video, asked for the care home’s address so they could send Donald flowers.

Elsyng House general manager Alina Simon said: “We can’t believe the wave of emotion that Donald’s thoughts on VE Day have inspired.

“Many of the comments refer to him as ‘sir’ and thank him for his service. They also promise him that they won’t forget the sacrifices that were made once survivors like Donald are no longer with us.”

As he explained to the Dispatch in an interview ahead of the 80th anniversary of D-Day last year, Donald was a motorbike dispatch rider with the 90^th Middlesex Regiment of the Royal Artillery during the Normandy landings of June 1944. He landed on Gold Beach on D-Day in June, aged just 23, and then went on to help liberate Nazi-occupied France and other parts of Europe.

After facing combat as a gunner in Tilly-sur-Seulles, Donald moved through Belgium and the Netherlands with his unit, as the liberation of Europe continued. He was injured in December 1944 after being hit in the leg by a piece of shrapnel, which he still carries today, but miraculously he, and his four brothers, survived the war.

Donald was awarded the Legion d’honneur, the highest French order of merit, on the 70^th anniversary of D-Day in 2014 and is a trustee of the British Normandy Memorial near the village of Ver-sur-Mer.

The war hero was sent a commemorative coin on VE Day from the Westminster Collection in honour of his service.

Alina added: “We know what an amazing gentleman Donald is and we’re delighted that so many other people recognise it too.”

Watch the TikTok video of Donald’s visit to Enfield War Memorial:
Visit tiktok.com/@oaklandcare/video/7502469515855318294

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