They fought on the beaches and lived… six ordinary men who changed history

The former soldiers saw first-hand the armada of ships which crossed the Channel on that fateful day in June 1944, lost friends in the fighting and helped liberate towns and villages from the grip of the Axis powers.

One was wounded and taken prisoner, while another reached the gates of the Belsen concentration camp and saw the depths of what the Nazi regime was capable of.

They will be part of a 300-strong group of former servicemen travelling to Bayeux with Poppyscotland and The Royal British Legion on the chartered cruise ship MV Boudicca for a commemoration ceremony.

Former Sergeant Ian Forsyth was a driver operator working on reconnaissance for armoured division.

He recalled a spirit of optimism on the boats as the vast fleet set sail The 95-year-old said: “When I first went abroad I, like a lot of others of my age group, thought they were going to change the world; that is what we were going to fight for.

“Unfortunately, that quickly changed to fighting for our own survival, and that was difficult enough, until we arrived at the gates of Belsen.

“That woke us up to realise the depths to which a man can sink, and why we were really there.”

Mr Forsyth, from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, spoke of the terrible toll the fighting had on his comrades, saying: “My memory tells me that of the 20 men that made up our troop, only three remained physically unmarked, but mentally scarred for the rest of their lives.

“There is so much I would like to say about the changes that took place in us, but that would require a few pages and not just a few lines.” After the war, Mr Forsyth became a teacher.”

James Churm, 94, from Castle Douglas, in Dumfries and Galloway, served as a Royal Navy medic on landing craft, moving tanks from Newhaven to Sword Beach.

Mr Churm recalled: “My overriding feeling was one of terrible trepidation. Nobody knew what was happening until we got there.”

“The amount of shipping in the Channel was fantastic, though; every type of vessel you could think of was there.” After the war, Mr Churm became a physiotherapist, including a stint as the physio at Blackburn Rovers.

Denis Gregson, a former marine from North Lanarkshire, spent more than three months in France during the conflict. The 95-year-old said: “We were just doing a job and we did what we got told to do. We didn’t see ourselves as heroes. I always wonder what the French people thought that morning when they woke up and saw all of the ships.” After the War, Mr Gregson became a cooper.

Private Jim Glennie, of the 51st Highland Division of the Gordon Highlanders, did not escape the beach landing unscathed. Shot during the battle to get off the shore, he was captured and spent the rest of the war in POW camp Stalag 4b.

The 93-year-old, from Aberdeen, said the experience had stayed with him to this day. Mr Glennie recalled: “The overriding thing I remember from being a prisoner of war was the lack of food.”

“We had to steal potato skins from the guards’ bin. It amazes me now when I am out for dinner with my family and they order potato skins.”

John McOwan, 98, a sergeant, from Peebles, was an instrument mechanic in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical engineers.

Mr McOwan, who served in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical engineers attached to the 8th Army, said: “My most vivid memory was the Armada of ships lying off-shore. They stretched for as far as the eye could see. We waited for what seemed like an interminable amount of time before we could go on shore. We felt like easy targets for the Luftwaffe.”

“A couple of ships were hit, and we just hoped and prayed that ours would not be one of the next ones. For some reason, I remember that I did not even get my feet wet when we eventually came on shore as we were on landing craft vehicles.”

Charles Horne, 93 , from Port Seton, in East Lothian, served on board a minesweeper alongside American forces. He said: “I later heard that 2,000 men were killed on Omaha Beach that morning, so, I do feel lucky that I was one of the ones that came home. During the operation, a minesweeper the same as ours was hit and sank in five minutes.”

Paying tribute, Dr Claire Armstrong, chief executive of Legion Scotland, said: “D-Day was a pivotal moment in the Second World War. “The remarkable stories of these six Scottish veterans provide us with an important reminder of both the bravery and tragedy which surrounds that day. Legion Scotland is committed to providing comradeship for those in the armed forces community and to ensuring the memory of those who fell in service to our country is remembered forever.”

She added: “It will be an honour and a privilege to host these incredible gentlemen, and to recognise the immense contribution of an entire generation.”