Mayor's tribute to John Dennett
The Mayor of Wirral has added his tribute after the death was reported over the weekend of war hero and community champion John Dennett at the age of 101.
Wallasey resident John had served the Royal Navy with distinction and was part of the D-Day landings in 1944 as part of the 7,000-strong fleet that arrived at Sword Beach for the largest amphibious invasion in military history.
In total, 156,000 Allied troops arrived in Nazi-occupied France as part of the D-Day operation, which proved to be a decisive turning point in the Second World War – although it came with a terrible loss of live, with nearly 4,500 troops being killed on the first day of the operation alone.
He was a well-known war hero both locally and nationally, but when he was honoured with an MBE from the newly-crowned King Charles III in 2023 it was as much for the difference he had made in his adopted community as for his Naval service.
In 1949, John and his wife Joyce - who had met while John’s vessel was docked in Birkenhead shortly before the D-Day landings – formed the legendary Ashville Football Club, naming it after the street where they lived.
Joyce and John built Ashville FC up from the grassroots and made it into one of the most famous names in amateur football in Wirral, now playing in the North West Counties league. He was still involved as its Club President.
Like many Wirral residents hearing the news of John’s passing I feel a great sadness that the borough has lost a real giant of the area.
As one of the last surviving D-Day veterans, John was also quite rightly revered all over the country. He had the incredible distinction of serving at every major Allied landing - North Africa, Italy and Normandy and following the war devoted much of his free time to supporting the annual Poppy Appeal. He was a founder member of the Royal British Legion City of Liverpool Branch and also worked for the Italy Star Association for decades, becoming its President in 2019.
Locally, his passion and dedication for grassroots football was undiminished and as if his wartime legacy wasn’t enough, he will forever be remembered at the Ray Parker Stadium as the founder of Ashville FC – a club that nearly 80 years later continues to grow and achieve. There most certainly was only one John Dennett and on behalf of the people of Wirral, I extend my condolences to his friends and family on their loss.
