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Veterans return to Scotland for ‘magical' visit to Edinburgh Tattoo
Three veterans who served in the Second World War have attended the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo during a trip to Scotland for a 'return to places of deep personal meaning' organised by a charity. Eugeniusz Niedzielski, 101, Don Turrell, 100, and Dorothea Barron, 100, attend the pageantry event at Edinburgh Castle during their trip to Scotland, organised by the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans. They described the Tattoo as 'the icing on the cake' after seeing the show on Tuesday evening. The visit was organised after Mr Turrell, who lives in Frinton-on-Sea in Essex, disclosed it was his 'final wish' to return to Scotland, where he had served in the Cameronians, and he vowed to come back next year. Polish veteran Mr Niedzielski was 'delighted' to watch the Band of the Polish Border Guard, according to organisers. He served with the 1st Armoured Polish Division, and during the visit spent time with the Polish Community in Edinburgh, and also attended a Catholic Mass and a memorial service to his fallen comrades. Ms Barron, who served in the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS), returned to the site of her former barracks at Port Edgar, now a housing development and had a tour of Campbeltown, while Mr Turrell visited the Cameronians Museum and the Ben Nevis Distillery. He said the visit was 'unforgettable', and also described the Tattoo as 'magical'. Mr Turrell said: 'It was breathtaking – from the stirring opening to the grand finale. When the pipers emerged through the smoke, I thought the procession would never end – it was magical. 'It's been absolutely wonderful – and I'm coming back next year.' Colin Mills, chairman of the Taxi Charity, said: 'Since 1948, the Taxi Charity has supported thousands of veterans, arranging free trips to the Netherlands and France for acts of commemoration, as well as days out to museums, concerts, and social events across the UK. 'This trip to Scotland was inspired when Don quietly shared with me that his last wish was to return there. We were determined to make it happen – and in doing so, we've not only fulfilled Don's dream, but also the heartfelt wishes of Dorothea and Eugeniusz.' Dick Goodwin, vice president of the Taxi Charity, said 'This trip has given the veterans the chance to return to places of deep personal meaning from their wartime service – and they've enjoyed every moment.' He said the Tattoo was 'a celebration of skill, pageantry, and shared history'. Mr Goodwin said: 'It was a fantastic performance, from the hundreds of pipers, The Band of the Polish Border Guard, that delighted World War Two veteran Eugeniusz Niedzielski, to the precision and daring of the USAF Honor Guard Drill Team, spinning and throwing rifles with bayonets attached. 'The whole evening was a celebration of skill, pageantry, and shared history. 'This trip has given the veterans the chance to return to places of deep personal meaning from their wartime service – and they've enjoyed every moment.'
The Herald Scotland
13-07-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Visit to Scotland ‘means the world' to 100-year-old veterans, says charity
As well as visiting a number of sites linked with their service, the 'remarkable' trio will attend the Edinburgh Tattoo on August 12. Colin Mills, chairman of TCMV, said: 'We are incredibly proud to be taking three remarkable WW2 veterans to Scotland this August, and we are so grateful to everyone whose generous donations have made this trip possible. 'Don Turrell, Dorothea Barron, and Eugeniusz Niedzielski, each with extraordinary stories of service and resilience, will be visiting places that hold deep personal significance. 'Trips like this are only possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters, and it means the world to these veterans to be honoured in this way.' London-born Don Turrell enlisted in the army when he was just 17, having lied about his age, and joined the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). He intends to visit Dunfermline, where his mother was born, and also to return to Fort William in the Highlands where he spent time training before being sent to France in the weeks following D-Day. Donald Turrell spent time training in the Highlands before going to France in the weeks following D-Day (Turrell family/PA) 'It was hard, very hard,' the 100-year-old recalled of his time training in Scotland. 'It made me fit. There are some photographs floating about with me with all my muscles showing,' he said with a chuckle. He added: 'We used to hang over cliffs on ropes. Just tapped in a six-inch nail on the ground, rope round it, down the side a cliff and swing about, (and) climb up. 'I enjoyed every minute of it.' Other destinations include a visit to the Low Parks Museum in Hamilton, which houses the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) collection. Dorothea Barron said going on trips organised by the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans had given her a 'second lifetime' (Robin Savage/PA) The visit is set to take place on August 8, when a parade with the standard will be held. Dorothea Barron enlisted in the Wrens when she was 18, having been a schoolgirl in London during the Blitz. Working as a visual signaller, she spent much of her time at naval sites in Scotland, initially at Port Edgar on the Firth of Forth and then Rosyth in Fife, Aberdeen, and Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsula. The 100-year-old said she was especially looking forward to revisiting her old posting at Port Edgar. 'They're going back to Hopetoun, which was the rallying point for all the naval people,' she said. 'And from there we were sent off to various parts of Scotland. So, I'd love to see if my little tin hut of a signal station has survived the Scottish weather. 'I doubt it very much, but it's going to be such fun looking for it.' During her visit to Port Edgar on August 7, she will perform the sod-cutting ceremony at the old Port Edgar Barracks, which is set to be converted into a new housing scheme. Born in what was then Poland, Eugeniusz Niedzielski was deported to Soviet work camps during the invasion of Poland in September 1939. Released when Stalin joined the Allies in 1942, Mr Niedzielski joined the new Polish army, which was placed under British command, and took part in the Allied offensive in 1944 – including taking part in the liberation of the Dutch city of Breda. He served in the Polish 1st Armoured Division, which was formed in Duns, in the Scottish Borders, by General Stanislaw Maczek in 1942, and intends to visit the town as part of the trip. The 101-year-old will also visit the Polish consulate in Edinburgh on August 10, as well as travelling to Alnwick in Northumberland, Kelso and Faslane. Mr Turrell and Ms Barron both expressed their gratitude to the TCMV for arranging trips for veterans like themselves. 'This is what keeps me alive,' Mr Turrell said. 'Now I know I'm going on another (trip), I'll got to keep myself going. 'Otherwise, I just sit in a chair, fall asleep, wake up, look at a telly, fall asleep again.' Ms Barron said: 'The lovely London taxi drivers charity were the ones who found me out and gave me all these wonderful opportunities to meet other people who'd been in the war. 'Because, once my husband died and our local doctor died, nobody else, I think locally, had been in the war. 'So it was lovely. It was intriguing, and it's giving me a second lifetime.'
