Perthshire war hero, Willie Whitton

When Willie Whitton was 19, he was plucked from his Pitlochry plumbing apprenticeship and sent off to war.

He joined The Black Watch and, after a short spell in England, he transferred to 1st Battalion London Scottish and was posted to North Africa in time for the German surrender.

It was at Anzio in Italy that Mr Whitton’s luck ran out when he was captured.

A prisoner of the Germans, Mr Whitton was incarcerated in Stalag Luft 8C, Sagan, Poland, where he was set to work making clay water pipes.

For his family back home, the only information they had was “missing in action” until a neighbour heard his name included in one of Lord Haw Haw’s broadcasts and rushed over to inform his mother.

With the Russian army driving eastwards, Mr Whitton and hundreds of other prisoners were forced to walk 500 miles to Hanover.

But Mr Whitton survived and was eventually flown home from Antwerp.

In 1947, he was finally demobbed from Aldershot after completing his National Service with the RASC. He immediately rejoined a local plumbing firm and completed his apprenticeship.

Later, Mr Whitton joined the estate of Major Sir David Butter at Cluniemore from where he retired in 1990.

Mr Whitton was born on January 10 1924, the fifth son of George and Margaret Whitton of Oakfield, Pitlochry.

In 1950, he married Jessie Whannell, a former Miss Pitlochry whom he met at a dance in Moulin village hall.

A keen footballer, he played in goal for local teams Ballinluig and Star of Atholl.

Other interests included golf and lawn bowls and he was a keen member of the Pitlochry in Bloom team, having previously been a committee member of the Pitlochry Horticultural Society.

As a British Legion member, Mr Whitton was proud to be part of the colour party for many years. He even had time to serve as a retained fireman for 36 years.

Latterly, he was fabric convener for his church.

Mr Whitton died on September 6 and was laid to rest at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Pitlochry, on September 17.

A fitting farewell of bagpipe tunes was played by his great nephew, Stephen Whitton. Mr Whitton leaves a son, John, living in Forres.

War hero Willie Whitton lived a full and active life.