Obituary: Captain George Anderson, 76

Captain George Anderson MBE, a Seaforth Highlander who survived an IRA bombing and took the Edinburgh Tattoo to the USA, has died, aged 76.

George Stewart Anderson, known as Georgie, was born in Alnwick on January 26, 1935, but was orphaned at an early age and brought up by relatives. After attending school in Northumberland he carried out his national service in 1952, and the following year he was in the parade of troops that accompanied the Queen back from Westminster Abbey after her coronation.

His regiment then served in Egypt from 1953 to 1955, during the Suez Canal Crisis.

Although he was demobbed in 1955, Captain Anderson was impressed with the "family regiment" of the Seaforth Highlanders and in 1956 he decided to re-enlist at Fort George.

Following tours of duty to Gibraltar and Munster he was at Redford Barracks in 1961 when the Seaforth Highlanders were combined with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders to form the Queen's Own Highlanders.

He later served in Singapore, assigned to the motor transport division. After further service in Brunei, during a time of political unrest, he was then posted as a training sergeant to the Highland Brigade Depot at Bridge of Don in Aberdeen, a position he held from 1965 to 1967.

He rejoined his battalion for duty in Berlin in 1967, before being promoted to Training Sergeant Major with the Scottish Infantry Depot at Glencorse.

In 1975 he was presented with the challenge of joining the team picked to transport the famous Edinburgh Tattoo to Wolf Trap in Washington DC, as part of America's bicentennial celebrations. He was in charge of discipline throughout the rehearsals and subsequent performances, and greatly enjoyed working alongside the pipe bands. The event was attended by the Queen, Prince Philip and President Gerald Ford.

Captain Anderson returned to active service in 1978 when he was posted on an operational tour of duty to North Armagh, during which he survived an IRA bombing, after the convoy he was supervising was hit.

The vehicles were transporting helicopter fuel to a base, and the Land Rover in which he was travelling was blown up, landing some 300 yards further down the road, such was the force of the blast.

He suffered severe wounds, but refused to return to Scotland for treatment.

A dedicated soldier who was devoted to the army, its discipline and its traditions, Captain Anderson finally retired from the army after serving as the schools' liaison officer for Edinburgh, Lothian and the Borders, in 1985. He was awarded the MBE that same year.

He passed away on May 8, 2011, and is survived by his wife Doris and their two sons.