A PROUD possession of Harvey Reed Howarth in his Bacup home as he celebrated his 90th birthday in 1960, was a picture which, for more than 60 years had been a reminder of the most dramatic night of his life.

It depicted the wreck of the Warren Hastings, a Royal Indian Marine troopship which, in 1897, had struck rocks close to the Island of Reunion, while steaming at full speed towards Mauritius, in the pitch dark night.

And Mr Howarth could say as he gazed on the scene, which remained indelible on his mind, 63 years on: “I was there.”

The 27-year-old sergeant was, in fact, among a number of the men who were specially mentioned for gallantry, as 26 officers, 940 non-commissioned officers and men and 17 wives and 10 children made it safely to shore.

Indeed, when the story came out, the discipline and bravery shown by the British soldiers won the admiration of the world.

It was 2.20am when it was first realised the ship had hit the rocks; and troops fell in on the main deck in perfect order and waited until 4am, when the commander, having ascertained that there was sufficient room on the rocks, ordered that disembarkation could commence by rope ladders from the bows.

Men clung to the side as they stood and passed women and children through – indeed Mr Howarth was one of those to carry a baby to safety.

As the sea began to wash on to the upper deck permission was given to good swimmers to save themselves.

A gallantry order listed 21 men who particularly distinguished themselves on that night and included Sgt H Howarth of the 1st Battalion, Kings Royal Rifles.

In 1960 he still remembered the night well, he had been on duty and was in the bows when the ship hit the rocks, near the village of Sainte Phillipe, where villagers later gave troops food and shelter.

In an interview with the Lancashire Evening Telegraph he said: “The men were wonderful and did everything asked of them.

“They could not have done it better had they rehearsed it a thousand times.”

The tragedy stood out in a Mr Howarth’s long Army career, which had begun in 1890, when he was 20, which took him to India, South Africa, the West Indies and Malta In the First Word War he was commissioned in the Royal Flying Corps and during his service days had been a crack SHOT, He left the Army in 1920, aged 50 for civilian life.