Lockdown will not stop us honouring fallen comrades
Scottish heroes will relive the moment World War II ended in Europe this week as they remember their fallen comrades despite the Covid-19 lockdown.
Veteran Gilbert Gray served in the RAF as a flight engineer onboard Lancaster bombers and completed 34 operations with
106 Squadron, Bomber Command.
Gilbert, 95, who attacked German defences on D-Day and survived a fighter attack over Stuttgart, said: “When the war ended, we got a day off and went into Lincoln, which was near our base.
“It was very busy and colourful and buses were decorated in patriotic colours.
“But we were still waiting to be sent out to the Far East as the war was still on.
“I hoped to go to the VE Day celebrations but this year is a bit different with everyone staying home. My daughter will help me to watch the virtual services on the computer.” Royal Navy veteran Frank Coyle was a teenager when the war ended in Europe.
On VE Day, he was in the Far East being shot at by Japanese soldiers. He also contracted malaria after the war in Europe was over.
Frank, 93, of Govan, said: “We spent six weeks on a boat sailing through the Suez Canal and into the
Red Sea.
“We then made our way to Rangoon before heading south to join the invasion fleet at Singapore Harbour, where HMS Nelson was already stationed.
“Once gathered there, we stayed for two nights until the signing of the surrender.
“It was VE Day. We made our way to Cambodia, as part of a peace-keeping unit, and we dropped a troop of marines there before going to Bangkok.”
Jack Patterson, 95, of Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway, served on the Arctic convoys that kept the Russians fighting the Nazis.
He said: “I was doing patrols in the Pentland Firth on VE Day. U-boats were surrendering and one surrendered to us.
“We took it to Loch Eriboll in the north of Scotland. It was the first time I had seen a UU-boat. It looked sinister sin and bigger than tha I thought it would.” wo
The T VE Day
75th anniversary commemorations com will ggo ahead despite the llockdown. The nationnatio will observe a two-two-minute silence atat 11am. 11a
A virtualv Service of RemembranceReme will take placep on Friday on the FacebookFa pages of LegionLeg Scotland and PoppyscotlandPo at 10.40am. 10.40a