Singer's tribute to war veteran grandfather

Published on Friday 6 November 2009 21:45

A HIGHLAND army officer who fought in the doomed Battle of Arnhem during the Second World War will be commemorated in a song performed by one the UK's top indie bands on Remembrance Day next week.

Military Cross holder Major John Pott, who lived in Strathspey for almost 60 years, is the subject of award-winning group Athlete's new single, Black Swan Song.

The tribute was written by Athlete's lead singer, Joel Pott, grandson of Maj Pott, who died four years ago at the age of 85.

They will be perform the track during the Royal British Legion's Silence in the Square event at Trafalgar Square to mark Armistice Day.

Maj Pott was commander of A company of 156 Battalion the Parachute Regiment during the battle for Arnhem, part of Field Marshall Montgomery's bold plan to punch through the German lines and curtail the war.

His objective was to reach his brother-in-law John Frost – later played by Anthony Hopkins in the cinema depiction of the campaign, A Bridge Too Far – who was desperately holding on to the bridge at Arnhem.

Tactical miscalculations meant the campaign of 1944 ended in failure, with the death and capture of many Allied troops.

Maj Pott was among those taken prisoner, having been severely injured during combat. All but six of his company were killed or wounded.

Initially kept in a German civilian hospital, and despite having a leg in plaster, he made a daring escape.

His son David Pott explained: "It was an early morning. He first lowered down his crutches from the first-floor window, then he tied his sheets to the bed post and lowered himself out of the window – he almost gave himself away, though, as he had trouble trying to get his injured leg out of the window."

Managing finally to make good his escape, he forded a river over the Dutch border.

Exhausted by his swim, Maj Pott was found by a farmer and his wife, who gave him food and wine but then handed him over to the Gestapo, fearing reprisals if they were caught harbouring him.

He sat out the remaining months of the war in a German prison camp.

Maj Pott continued his military career after the Second World War, seeing action in the Suez Crisis, before returning to civilian life.

He eventually retired with his wife to Tigh Ban in the Highlands.

His death in 2005 inspired his grandson Joel to write Black Swan Song, evoking his grandfather's wartime experiences. The proceeds from the single will go to the Royal British Legion.

Joel said: "A new generation is making sacrifices today and the Legion is going to be there to support them for the rest of their lives. I decided to write this song and dedicate it to all the fallen.

"This song is accessible to all generations and is an effective means of communicating about the war to the next generation."

RUGBY'S LOSS

MEMBERS of London Scottish will this weekend commemorate former colleagues – more than 100 – who died in the First World War. The scale of the club's losses was brought to public attention when a poem by the late Mick Imlah was selected to feature on National Poetry Day last month.

In London Scottish (1914), the last fixture played by the club that spring is recalled. They turned out four teams – 60 men. By the end of the war, the poem says, 45 were dead.