An exhibition this week opened in Buckingham Palace featuring portraits of two Scottish soldiers who attacked the beaches of France as part of the D-Day landings in 1944. The veterans had their portraits painted as they are now and are alongside images of the landings and as they were in their youth.

A D-Day Exhibition

Called “The Last of the Tide”, the images commemorate the invasion of German-occupied France that involving nearly 8,000 ships and more than 10,000 aircraft and it was opened by Prince Charles.

The stunning portraits of the courageous soldiers as they look today are displayed alongside images taken as they headed into battle on D-day 71 years ago.

Two Brave Survivors

The two Scots are now elderly men in their 90s –Dr Tom Renouf and Captain Brian Stewart.

Captain Stewart, who lives near Crieff, Perthshire, served with 1st Battalion, Tyneside Scottish and he  helped paras cut off in a bid to destroy the bridges over the River Dives.

His family love the painting but he feared it didn’t make him look “too happy”.

Dr Tom Renouf, from Musselburgh, near Edinburgh, served with the 5th Battalion Black Watch and was part of the soldiers who captured Nazi number 2 Heinrich Himmler, who was disguised as a postman. He still has Himmler’s watch to this day.

Proud Tradition

These and all the other brave men of the Scottish Armed Forces are commemorated by Caithness Glass, which was founded by a veteran Scottish RAF man, with the Caithness Glass Highland Warrior paperweight.

It’s a limited edition of 100 and for a limited time you can claim it with a hefty £25 off.

https://www.jamespirie.com/caithness/limited-edition-paperweights/scottish/highland-warrior-new.html