A Stirlingshire pensioner made a trip back to the beaches of Normandy thanks to the Big Lottery Fund.
John Wotherspoon’s return was made possible by funding from Heroes Return 2, which enables veterans to embark on poignant visits back to the places where they saw action almost 70 years ago.
Mr Wotherspoon, 88, from Bonnybridge, served in the 15th Division of the Scottish Royal Engineers and landed in France two weeks after the D-day landings on June 20 1944.
He said: “A lot of people don’t know but there was still a lot of fighting going on. We were a mile or so behind the infantry guys. The Germans were really organised and we were being attacked from all sides.
“I was only 18 at the time and had never really experienced anything like that before. I have been back to Normandy before, but on this trip I got to do things that I didn’t get a chance to do the first time.
“It meant a lot for me to go back again. It’s really hard to explain to people but it still makes me emotional after all those years.”
The Big Lottery Fund has extended its Heroes Return 2 programme to enable veterans to apply for funding for second trips.
