D-Day sailor marks 100th birthday with King’s message and family party 

A D-Day hero who took part in the Normandy landings is today celebrating his 100th birthday with a card from the King alongside his family at Erskine Veterans Charity in Renfrewshire.

Albert Lamond, who was an 18-year-old signalman aboard HMS Rowley on 6 June 1944, was part of the escort for battleship HMS Warspite as it bombarded German positions to support the Allied landings in Normandy. His ship’s task was to protect the battleship from U-boats, keeping station while the landings unfolded within sight of the crew.

Albert said: “When you get to 100 you think back over all the things you’ve seen, and D-Day is always there. We could see the lads trying to land and we knew some of them wouldn’t make it. That’s why I keep saying we have to tell the stories properly and make sure the young ones understand what it cost. If we don’t pass it on, people will forget – and we can’t let that happen.”

Originally from Glasgow’s East End, Albert joined the Royal Navy in 1943, later serving in the Pacific. After the war he “took a month off” before spending decades working on the railways, including at Polmadie, before retiring and becoming a resident at Erskine. Today he was joined by close family members at the Veterans Village to mark the occasion quietly, alongside staff who have supported him.

Erskine Veterans Charity Chief Executive, Wing Commander Ian Cumming MBE, said: “It is a privilege for everyone at Erskine to care for and support Albert he turns 100. His service on D-Day, and the way he continues to speak about it clearly and without self-pity, is exactly why we work so hard to preserve veterans’ stories. We owe it to Albert and others that have served to make sure what they did during conflict continues to be heard for years to come.”

Albert, who is a recipient of the Légion d’honneur from the French government as well as the Arctic Star, has often spoken at Erskine about the need to “keep the past alive so history does not repeat its darkest days”.

“I know I’ve been lucky to have a long life,” he added. “A lot of good men didn’t get that chance. If I can still tell people what we saw, then I’ll keep doing it regardless of my age.”

For further information please contact Susan Hamilton, Communications Officer, on 0141 814 4719 or email susan.hamilton@erskine.org.uk

To find out more about Erskine Veterans Charity’s work please visit our website at www.erskine.org.uk, follow on twitter @ErskineCharity via Facebook www.facebook.com/ErskineVeteransCharity. To donate directly to Erskine, please visit Erskine.org.uk/donate.

Erskine Veterans Charity | Company No. SC174103 | Registered Charity No. SC006609 | The Erskine Home, Erskine Veterans Village, Bishopton, PA7 5PU