Remembering Lamont Conley’s service

VE Day gave one Campbeltown man reason to reflect on his father's heroic exploits during the Second World War.

Alan Conley told the Courier some of the details about his father Lamont Conley’s service which began at the end of 1943 when he joined the Black Watch 5th Battalion, aged 17.

Between June 6 and June 30 1944, Lamont was involved in Operation Neptune, often referred as D-Day.

He was on the second wave of amphibious landings on the Normandy beaches when troops were met with heavy fire from gun replacements but, thankfully, he survived. On March 23 1945, Lamont was involved in Operation Plunder and was one of the first to cross the river Rhine. The Buffalo craft he was on suffered from splinter damage causing a large hole to appear in the side of the boat.

Lamont was sitting on that side and quickly plugged the gap with his elbow to stem the fast flow of the freezing water entering the boat.

This action is believed to have saved the lives of his fellow soldiers.

After the war ended in May 1945, Lamont remained in the Black Watch until the battalion was renamed the Green Howards.

He was demobbed in 1947 after serving four years.

He returned to his birthplace at 10 Burnbank, Campbeltown, where his mother, brothers and sister were waiting for him. Sadly, his brother James Conley died, aged 21, of injuries sustained during the war.

Lamont married Isobel Fleming in December 1960 and had three children – Neil, James (Jim) and Alan.

Lamont, who was injured twice by gunfire during the war, died, aged 73, in 1999.