Tributes to D-Day veteran who fought across Europe while still a teenager
One of Scotland’s last D-Day heroes has died, aged 96.
Second World War veteran John Lamont was just 18 when he stormed Gold Beach in Normandy on June 6, 1944.
Lamont – who was awarded France’s highest honour, the Legion of Honour – served with the Highland Light Infantry and saw enemy action from his arrival at Arromanches, France through Belgium and Holland. He crossed the Rhine into Nazi Germany on the day after his 19th birthday.
Lamont’s friend Jim Devine, secretary of the Highland Light Infantry (HLI) Association, said: “It was very sad to hear of the passing of our old HLI comrade John Lamont on Tuesday, October 18. John was a well-known and much-loved member of the HLI Association for many years.
“Many members will have shared some memorable experiences with John on numerous occasions on battlefield tours and commemoration events in France, Holland, Germany, and of course in the UK.
“We have lost another member of the great generation that fought so hard so that we could live in freedom.”
Terry McCourt of the Parachute Regimental Association, said: “The word hero gets overused these days but John really was a war hero.
“He fought on D-Day and battled across Europe as a teenager.”