Most decorated former soldier marks 92nd birthday

Britain's most decorated former soldier, Sir Tommy Macpherson, has celebrated his 92nd birthday.

The World War II hero once famously brought about the surrender of 23,000 German troops in an elaborate bluff that involved driving through 10 miles of enemy-held territory, in full Highland dress and under machinegun fire, to the Das Reich Division headquarters.

There, he threatened to unleash the might of the RAF and heavy artillery if the Germans did not surrender.

Throughout a distinguished career, Sir Tommy was captured several times and was close to being executed on one occasion while being transported as a prisoner to Austria.

In 1944 he was awarded the Military Cross for his escape from the Stalag XX-A prison camp in Poland.

Ronald Thomas Stewart Macpherson was born in Edinburgh in 1920, the youngest of seven children. The Macpherson family originates from Newtonmore in Invernessshire and this is where Sir Tommy now lives with his wife of 59 years, Lady Jean Macpherson.

As part of Sir Tommy's birthday celebrations on Thursday, Lady Jean gathered together more than two hundred ties that her husband has collected from around the world and began recording Sir Tommy's recollections of the stories behind each of them.

Lady Jean said that Sir Tommy had had a wonderful birthday.

She said: “It was a very happy occasion as he looked at some of his ties, many of which he hadn’t seen for years. It was lovely to have so many impromptu visitors who came by and shared the largest, most chocolatey of cakes.”