Family pays visit to D-Day beaches on late Hawick veteran’s 100th birthday

The family of a D-Day veteran from Hawick marked what would have been his 100th birthday on June 6, by making their first visit to the Normandy beaches where he fought.

Walter Nightingale Campbell, died in April 1990, but would have turned 100 on the 75th D-Day anniversary.

A former sergeant major in the Kings Own Scottish Borderer and 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment, Walter was brought up in Myreslaw Green, and raised mainly by his maternal grandmother Annetta Campbell.

He was brought up alongside his cousin John Carruthers, who still lives in Hawick, as does his wife Mina. Their daughter Anne is a former headteacher at Hawick High School. And their sons Douglas and Alan Carruthers also still live in the town.

After the war Walter married and settled in north-east England with his wife, and had two children Neil and Annetta.

Last week, Neil and his wife Janice, and Annetta with her husband Thomas, made a poignant visit to the D-Day commemorations to see where their father served, and to mark what would have been his 100th birthday.

Neil said: “It was one of these trips that I had on my bucket list and when I mentioned it to my sister she said she would love to go, with it being the big anniversary and dad’s 100th.

“Dad never visited. He didn’t like talking about the war and never attended any reunions.

“The following day we followed the so-called Scottish corridor which covered the route which dad would have made after the landings.

“We stopped at memorials and it was quite an emotional time going over these things, but we had a tremendous time and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”

Neil, who lives Northumberland, would appreciate any information on the regiment with which his father served.

Anyone who can help can make contact with him by emailing us at: [email protected]