Turriff's Jim Glennie, 99-year-old D-Day hero and Gordon Highlanders legend, awarded BEM
Jim Glennie was one of the first Gordon Highlanders to set foot on the beaches of Normandy during D-Day in 1944.
And now, at the age of 99, the Turriff loon, who landed in Normandy more than 80 years ago, has been awarded a BEM in the King's Honours list.
Mr Glennie, who volunteered at the Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen well into his 90s, is the regiment's last surviving member from the Second World War.
He and his colleagues had no idea what was waiting for them when they arrived in France, but displayed great courage to help liberate France from the Nazis.
As he once recalled with typical understatement: 'You were scared within yourself, but you didn't show it. You didn't know what was going to happen – it was very dodgy.'
Major Grenville Irvine-Fortescue MBE, the chairman of the Gordon Highlanders Association, paid a warm tribute to his long-term friend.
He said: ''The very special award of a BEM to our D-Day veteran, Jim Glennie, is a wonderful recognition of his devotion and service.
'Apart from his war service with 5th/7th Gordons, he has been a stalwart volunteer for the Gordon Highlanders Museum, a very proud standard bearer for the Royal British Legion and equally proud member of the Aberdeen Branch of the Association.
'I know my Gordon Highlander colleagues and so many others with whom he has worked will be delighted for him and I know he will be immensely proud of receiving this great honour in recognition of his achievements.'
Mr Glennie and his colleagues made progress after landing in Normandy, but he and his company were ambushed by Germans while making their way towards Caen.
Several were killed or wounded, but the rest managed to take temporary cover in a roadside trench as German Panzer armoured vehicles approached.
He said: 'The tank came past and it was just spraying us, but we managed to keep our heads down.
'I remember thinking, 'I don't like this' and I jumped out and ran up the road to try and get them when they came round a bend.
'So I'm standing there, firing my gun and, all of a sudden, I felt shots hit me in my right arm and the gun just dropped out of my hand.'
It was the end of his war. After recovering in hospital, Jim was transferred along with hundreds of other POWs to Stalag IV-B in Germany.
His first day in the camp was his 19th birthday.
Mr Glennie met a former German soldier, Karl Hunnold, at the museum in 2017 and the two men, who had previously been on opposite sides, embraced each other warmly.
He said at the time: 'Although we can't speak to each other directly because of the language barrier, we can both understand each other because of what we've been through.'
And Mr Hunnold responded: 'I hold the Gordon Highlanders in very high regard in my memory, they treated me very well.
'And I am proud to consider Jim as a friend.'
John McLeish, chief executive of the museum, told the Press & Journal: 'Jim's military service is well-documented. Less well known is that this year sees him complete 30 years of volunteering at The Gordon Highlanders Museum.
'This is quite remarkable and the early days saw Jim undertake a wide range of duties to get things ready for us opening.
'Fast forward to today and we are very fortunate to see Jim volunteering as a member of the Tuesday team, week in, week out.
'While exceptionally humble and down to earth, Jim is willing to talk to all visitors – young and old – about his experiences.
'Jim is admired and respected by all his colleagues. Put simply, he is our hero.'
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