D-Day veteran Alexander won top French honour

A WAR veteran who was awarded France's highest military bravery award for his part in the Normandy landings has died aged 87.

Alexander Barron was born in Mexborough, Yorkshire, on 12 March 1922, but spent much of his later life in Juniper Green.

As a young boy he was a regular visitor at his aunt's house in Kinghorn, Fife, during the school holidays.

In his later teenage years he witnessed the build up to the Second World War around the Forth, which he documented extensively in his colourful memoirs.

In 1940 he volunteered for the Local Defence Volunteers where his mission was to defend the local railway and bridge with a wooden gun.

At the same time he attended Sheffield University, where he studied English until 1941 when he enlisted in the Royal Armoured Corps and trained as an officer at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.

By June 1944 he was troop leader in the 27th Armoured Brigade in charge of four tanks with 20 crew and on D-Day, 6th June 1944 landed on Sword Beach.

After continuous action for two weeks, his tank was destroyed in the town of Janville by a shell from a camouflaged 88mm anti-tank gun.

The shell passed through the armour, fuel tanks and out the other side, igniting the vehicle.

He alone escaped out of the four man crew, and with severe burns he was treated in a field hospital for 10 days before returning to active duty for the remainder of the war. He was part of many significant actions including Operation Market Garden and was present on the first day of the liberation of the notorious Belsen Concentration Camp.

After the war he completed his degree and married Kathleen Oliver in 1954 and later had three sons, Paul, Matt and Rob, and a daughter, Judi.

Mr Barron moved to Edinburgh in 1964 as part of the senior management group responsible for the planning, development and opening of Napier College of Technology.

He subsequently held the position of Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, and later he became Assistant Principal, a post he held until his retirement in March 1987.

Post-retirement, Mr Barron continued contributing to education, creating the European Design Education Network and sitting on the Board of Governors of Queen Margaret College.

In May 2004 he was presented with the Legion d'Honneur medal for his role in helping to free France.

Surrounded by his family, Mr Barron died peacefully in hospital on 13 February.

He is survived by Kath – his wife of 55 years – together with four children and five grandchildren.

His funeral will take place on 20 February at 11am, Mortonhall Crematorium Main Chapel.