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Scottish Sun
20-06-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
‘He used to scream in the night' – Scottish WW2 veterans return to scene of one of worst military tragedies
NORMANDY RETURN 'He used to scream in the night' – Scottish WW2 veterans return to scene of one of worst military tragedies Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) VETERANS returned to the scene of one of Scotland's worst military tragedies this week - 85 years after 10,000 men were either killed or captured in WW2. The Black Watch paid an emotional visit to St Valery-en-Caux in Normandy to commemorate the ill-fated defence of the region by the 51st Highland Division. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The Black Watch Commemorative Visit to Normandy in France. Credit: ©Perthshire Picture Agency. NO SYNDICATION. REMAINS WITH PERTHSHIRE PICTURE AGENCY 4 Lt Col Bill Bradford of The Black Watch whilst serving as a Captain. Credit: © Perthshire Picture Agency. NO SYNDICATION. REMAINS WITH PERTHSHIRE PICTURE AGENCY 4 Private Cameron Walker who was hidden by the Hubert family for four years - pictured with his mother after returning. Credit: © Perthshire Picture Agency. NO SYNDICATION. REMAINS WITH PERTHSHIRE PICTURE AGENCY 4 Infantry of 51st Highland Division are carried into battle aboard Sherman tanks. Credit: Alamy It was an equally sombre event for grateful locals who remembered the men that gave their lives for strangers and saved their ancestors. Retired Brigadier Alastair Aitken, Chairman of The Black Watch Association, said: 'People talk about the Auld Alliance but what they are thinking of is a few beers at Murrayfield with some French rugby supporters. 'But actually, here in Normandy is the real Auld Alliance because here we had Scottish soldiers who died not just in France, but for France, and that is unique in recent British history. 'This is a story of Scotland's best who fought bravely for France as they died for Scotland. They would have fought to the last man and the last round. That has created a unique bond with the communities of Normandy. We won't find it anywhere else in France. 'This is not even a Scottish story – it is a Highlands story – and The Black Watch is part of that. 'It is all about the people. And it is their individual stories that keep their names alive. These are the stories that inspire current and future generations.' Mayor of St Valery-en-Caux, Jean-Francois Ouvry, added: 'I once watched an old soldier stand at the 51st Highland Division monument on the clifftop above St Valery as a tear trickled down his cheek and I realised I also had a tear in my eye. 'Perhaps future generations will not be so aware of our mutual history but hopefully St Valery will never forget. 'The monument stands strong; the graves are tended and the soldiers of Scotland rest here forever. They are in our hearts and we will take care of them.' The heroic soldiers remained behind, under French command, in a last gasp attempt to halt the German advance. But the onslaught proved too strong and 51st Highland Divisional commander Major General Victor Fortune reluctantly followed orders to call a ceasefire and surrender when all hope of naval evacuation had gone. Mistakes were made but we fought with honour – hero Scots soldiers remembered 20 years after Iraq Troops were vastly outnumbered and rapidly running out of ammunition, food and fresh clothing, as well as having no aerial or heavy artillery support. French families played their own in part in trying to save those left behind - taking in stricken Scots and shielding them from the Germans. Private Cameron Walker, a blacksmith's son from Forteviot in Perthshire, remained hidden with a family for four years – helping on the farm and hiding in a specially-made niche between the chimneys whenever enemy soldiers made their frequent searches. His host Hamilton Hubert later 'adopted' Cameron as an extra son and the last surviving daughter – 80-year-old Ghislaine Pegard – told of the love the family had for the young Scotsman. She said: 'I never met him – I wasn't born. But my parents talked about Cameron often. I feel very proud of them and what they did. 'Cameron was a part of the family and The Black Watch became part of our family too. My grandchildren now know of what my parents went through to keep Cameron safe and they will tell their children and grandchildren.' Meanwhile, retired Black Watch Colonel Ronnie Bradford, 67, from Aberdeenshire, is still in awe of the legends told about his famous father - Captain Bill Bradford He was taken prisoner following the surrender of British and French commanders but managed to escape on six separate occasions. The hero spent 367 days trying to reach safety. He walked more than 620 miles, cycled over 500 miles, travelled 2,216 miles by train, 469 miles by ship and around 700 miles by small boat to reach British soil. Ronnie said: 'He never spoke of those times but I know they scarred him deeply. He used to scream in the night. 'It was only after my brother stopped Dad burning his diaries just before he died that his story came to light. 'He was a kind and tolerant father. I just wish we'd known his war story before so that I could have talked to him about it. 'I've been thinking of him and all the other soldiers who fought here in Normandy and to walk where they walked and see where his friends and comrades fell is a really emotional journey.' King Charles passed on his wishes to those who made the trip to pay their respects. And general Fortune's grandson, actor Jack Fortune, from Galloway, believes people could learn a lot from the soldier's commitment to his men. He proudly said: 'While in prison in Poland after capture at St Valery, he suffered a stroke and refused to be repatriated, saying he would stay with his men of the 51st Highland Division until the end.'
STV News
01-05-2025
- General
- STV News
VE Day: Memories of WWII by those who fought for freedom
The guns finally fell silent 80 years ago. The Second World War was over after six long years of brutal conflict. On May 8, 1945, Winston Churchill addressed the nation. The German High Command had signed an act of unconditional surrender and Victory in Europe Day was declared. To mark that historic moment, STV News has gone through the archives to hear from three Scottish veterans who fought bravely for their country. These heroes are sadly no longer with us. Their voices are now silent. But their stories live on. Signalman Andrew Cheyne, who served in 51st Highland Division, said: 'I can tell you that we were drawn up over two miles outside St Valery before we went in, and more or less told to destruct all our equipment and machines, run the motors dry, and after that, gentlemen, you're on your own. 'On the beach itself was pretty hellish. There was hundreds and hundreds of troops there huddled, no one knowing what to do, running about. And at that point the mortar started. STV News 'That caused more mayhem at that point, they must have hit a petrol tanker because petrol leaped into the air, just like a huge hand of fire, and it fell down on the wounded on the beach. 'Between the screaming of the wounded on the beach, the shelling, mortaring, machine gun fire, I never heard anything like it in my life before, and I don't want to hear it again. 'A chance shell brought the cliffs down on top of me and brought it down the back of my neck and pushed me over a bit – 15 feet. I didn't know that then, but I dislocated my hips. 'At that point, two of my muckers came along and saw me there. They pulled me up off the beach itself, up underneath the cliff. Now that's no doubt that saved my life.' Private Alexander Cortmann, who served in the 3rd Parachute Regiment, recalled the Battle of Arnhem in 1944. STV News He said: 'When you land in Arnhem there's going to be old men, old home guard people and children. I never saw any children, all I saw were big beefy Germans. 'I remember coming through a street near where we landed, and there was a shoe on the pavement. I kicked the shoe, the foot was still in it, that must be (comrade) Gordon, I looked over this hedge and there was a leg and a thigh, standing, someone said 'that's the other bit of Gordon'. 'Now, I wasn't sick, it was just a terrible sadness came over me. Good lads, wasted, just wasted, they would have made good husbands, good fathers…gone.' Radio Operator William Shand, who served on HMS Franklin, described travelling among the Arctic convoys. He said: 'The weather was terrible, it was bitterly cold. It was frightening, it was the great unknown. We must have been on the outskirts of the convoy and we heard lots of noises, but the visibility was such, you couldn't see the end of the point of your nose, as the saying goes. 'When we did get back to Scapa, shortly after that, we were transferred down to the Isle of Sheppey in the Thames Estuary, and on June 5 that night, there were pamphlets on our domestic table saying we were going on this wonderful expedition to release Europe.' STV News Bill continued: 'Next morning, we woke up, we were in Arromanches, which was the British landing, and all hell was let loose.'You couldn't go out of the upper deck because of debris falling and bits of shells.'We went up the River Orne, and this was with an American boat. They said 'we will let you go first'. I thought that's very kind, because it was mined – silly. 'And when we got there that night, we had hospitality from the American boat Coca Cola films. We thought 'my golly, there's a war on'. The next morning, they cut adrift from us. Got about 50 yards and they blew up.'Out of there, or maybe 500 of a compliment, we got about 250 and most of them were dead as well.' STV News Veterans. Winston Churchill: 'Yesterday morning at 2:41am at General Eisenhower's headquarters, General Jodl, the representative of the German High Command, signed the act of unconditional surrender. We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing. Today is Victory in Europe Day.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
BBC News
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
How bagpipes saved a Glasgow piper's great-grandfather
After piper Malcolm Campbell was shot and left for dead during World War One, he credited his bagpipes with helping to save his life. During the recovery of bodies following the Battle of Marne in France in 1914, his pipes were accidentally set off, alerting fellow soldiers that he was still alive. More than 110 years later, the same set of bagpipes are still being played - by Malcolm's great-grandson Alasdair Campbell. The third generation of his family to have the pipes, Alasdair said: "I play them pretty much every day - in bands, solo and in competitions." Malcolm, known as Calum Alasdair in his home island of South Uist in the Western Isles, was a private in the Queen's Own Cameron was among thousands of soldiers in the British Expeditionary Force who fought alongside French troops against German forces at the Battle of the was fought over several days in September 1914 and halted the German's advance on Paris, but was followed by years of trench warfare. The battle resulted in a total of between 300,000 and 500,000 said his great-grandfather, though wounded during the fighting, was one of the lucky ones."He was shot and left for dead," said Alasdair, who lives in Glasgow."But a few days later when they went out to pick up the bodies one of the body collectors stood on him."He was lying on top of the pipes and the pipes made a noise and they thought 'oh, good Lord he must still be alive, we must get him to hospital and back on his feet'."Malcolm, who was carried off the battlefield with his pipes, spent months in a hospital in Aldershot, said: "After that he made a full recovery and he got an honourable discharge and was sent home."He said his grandfather, mum and uncles would not have existed if it was not for the bagpipes. Alasdair is proud to carry on a tradition started by Malcolm, and over the years the pipes have been played at European and World Pipe Band said: "They belonged to my great-grandfather and my grandfather and then I subsequently inherited them."So they have a long lineage." Bagpipes were carried into other battles during WW1, and again during World War Daniel Laidlaw won the Victoria Cross for his actions at The Battle of Loos, the largest British battle on the Western Front in climbed from a trench and played Blue Bonnets Over The Border to encourage his fellow soldiers to renew an assault on German WW2, pipers were used by the 51st Highland Division at the start of the Battle of El Alamein in October 1942. The pipers' tunes were used to identify different commando Bill Millin was ordered by his commanding officer to play his pipes to rally troops during D-Day in June actions on Sword Beach were later portrayed in the 1962 film The Longest Day.
