Werner Busse

Born: 9 December, 1925, in Halberstadt, Germany.

Died: 26 June, 2008, in California, aged 82.

WERNER Busse was a former SS soldier who fell in love with Scotland and became a popular pub landlord.

A German tank commander during the Second World War, he later became friends with many British soldiers who frequented his bars.

Busse, who came from the city of Halberstadt near the Harz Mountains in central Germany, volunteered for the Waffen or "armed SS" at the age of 16.

He went on to join the 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg where he became a tank commander and survived the hell of the Eastern front in Russia for two years before going on to fight in Normandy.

The 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg earned the reputation as one of the best tank units that Germany could muster during the Second World War.

In 1944, when Busse was 18, his tank was knocked out by a PIAT rocket during a post D-Day battle in Caen in Normandy. Some of the other soldiers on the vehicle were killed, but Busse was blown out of the turret by the blast and suffered only a shrapnel wound.

He was captured by the Allies and after having his wounds treated at a hospital in Bayeux, he was sent to various POW camps in the UK. However, because of food shortages at the time he was shipped out with other German prisoners to the United States.

While there, he picked cotton in Alabama, worked on ex-president Jimmy Carter's peanut farm, in Georgia, and branded cattle at a ranch in Indiana. He managed to escape on one occasion, but was captured by the local sheriff, who bought him a burger before handing him over to the FBI.

Werner was sent to Scotland in 1946, and was a POW at Craigellachie, near Elgin, before going on to do farm work at Keith.

While at a barn dance there, he met his future wife, Molly, the daughter of George Stables, a decorated First World War veteran with the Sixth Gordons.

They were married in Brechin, while both worked at Stracathro Hospital. Molly and Werner, who was a keen boxer and footballer, then ran a hotel in Montrose.

They moved to Inverness and ran The Plough at Eastgate, before it was redeveloped. They then took over The Imperial Bar, which became The Moray.

It twice won the pub for best performance in turnover with Tennents.

Well respected and liked by many of his customers, Busse had a witty turn of phrase and loved to debate politics. He was a big fan of the "Iron Lady", Margaret Thatcher. However, he had to throw many customers out, particularly those who called him "Herman the German".

Werner had a great affinity with soldiers who came to stay at Fort George and the Cameron Barracks in Inverness. He put up regimental crests and mascots in the pub and was an honorary member in the Sergeant's Mess of the King's Own Scottish Borderers.

He and Molly ran The Moray for about 20 years, before retiring in 1990.

"Since then we have done a lot of travelling to different places around the world. Werner loved travelling and always had a soft spot for America, I think he would have liked to have been a cowboy," Molly said. "Werner always said he was enormously in the debt of the people of Scotland because they treated him so well.

"He wanted to thank them all for their kindness."

She added: "He has been lucky all these years, and there was a hardiness about him that made him a survivor."

Thirteen Frundsbergers were awarded the Knights Cross, including divisional commander Heinz Harmel. Busse had been one of a number of old comrades who had met regularly after the war.

Werner Busse, who died while on holiday in California, is survived by Molly and their two daughters.