One of Scotland’s last D-Day veterans dies aged 100

One of Scotland’s last surviving D-Day veterans, who played a key role in the Allied landings, has died aged 100.

Albert Lamond was just 18 when he took part in the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, serving as a signalman in the Royal Navy aboard HMS Rowley. The ship formed part of the escort for the battleship HMS Warspite, which was tasked with bombarding German positions along the Normandy coast in support of the landings.

Albert and his crew were constantly watching for U-Boats looking to torpedo the warship, acting as a first line of defence as the Allies launched their assault.

From his position on the bridge, Mr Lamond witnessed landing craft advancing under fire and troops going ashore, aware that many would not return. In later life, he spoke sparingly but directly about what he had seen, describing D-Day as something that “lives with you forever”.

Marking the 80th anniversary of the landings on June 6, 2024, he said it was vital that future generations understood the reality and cost of war.

“It was horrible. It lives with you forever,” he said. “If we don’t pass the stories on, people will forget, and we can’t let that happen.”

Born in Glasgow’s East End, Albert joined the Royal Navy in 1943 and later served in the Pacific. After the war, he returned to civilian life, spending decades working on Scotland’s railways, including at Polmadie, before retiring as a driver.

In his later years, he became part of the Erskine Veterans Charity community, initially attending its Veterans Village activity centre before moving into The Erskine Home in Bishopton, Renfrewshire. 

There, he was known as a respected and generous presence, regularly speaking to visitors and younger people about his experiences, believing it was important that the realities of war were understood and remembered.

He was awarded the, Légion d'honneur, the Atlantic and Arctic Stars, and the Ushakov Medal in recognition of his war efforts, though those who knew him said he rarely spoke about honours or his own role in the war.

When Albert returned home from the war, he met and married the love of his life Margaret. They shared many happy years together until Margaret passed away a few years ago.

Martin Lamond, Albert’s nephew, said: “We're all deeply saddened by Albert's passing. He was a joy to be around and an example to everyone right up to the last. He'll be so greatly missed. Not only have Albert's friends and family suffered a great loss, everyone has, even if they never had the pleasure of knowing him.

“Albert never thought of himself as a hero. He believed he was just doing his duty, and he carried the memory of those who didn’t make it with him throughout his life. We are incredibly proud of him and grateful for the time we had.”

Wing Commander Ian Cumming MBE, Chief Executive at Erskine, paid his own tributes: “Albert represented the very best of his generation. He spoke honestly about his service, not to glorify war, but to make sure people understood its cost. Through his time at Erskine, he was committed to passing on those lessons. We won’t forget the ever-present twinkle in Albert’s eye, or his cheeky patter! We were truly privileged to care for and support him in later life.”

Albert’s funeral will take place on  at Dalnottar Cemetery, Clydebank, where family, friends and members of the Veterans’ community will gather to celebrate his life.

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