A Scots World War Two veteran who is the last surviving member of his regiment has celebrated his 100th birthday.
Jim Mitchell, from Largs, is the only man still alive who served with the 97 th Field Regiment Royal Artillery.
As he marked his century he received a telegram from the Queen as well as a visit from historians from his former regiment who wanted to record his memories for posterity.
Tim Rayson, the secretary of the Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry Association, said: “We have been trying to record as many of our WW2 veterans as we can before we lose the opportunity to save that piece of history for future generations.
“It was great to meet Jim and hear his stories. What an extraordinary gentleman and that he was able to recount so clearly some of the things that happened to him during his time with the regiment was fascinating. He’s our final link to that time.”
Jim, who turned 100 on 17 August shared some amazing memories on film and audio, which will now go into the regimental archives for anyone researching WW2.
Jim was 18 years-old and training in Hertfordshire in 1939 to become an engineer when he joined the local unit, the Kent Yeomanry, because he could see that war was imminent.
He served as a signalman and was posted to India, travelling on a steamship from Greenock to Bombay, via Cape Town to join with an Indian division.
He then sailed to Basra in Iraq where his job was to protect an oil pipeline, before moving to North Africa where he fought in the Battle of Alam el Halfa. He was mentioned in Dispatches for his bravery after intercepting some German soldiers trying to destroy a British defensive minefield.
Jim also volunteered to go through paratrooper training but was later injured when a truck was blown up by a landmine.
After returning to his regiment, he was then posted to Cyprus for mountain training to prepare for an invasion of Italy.
At one point, when his regiment entered Rome they were astounded to find St Peter’s Basilica Church and the Vatican completely empty, so they took part in an impromptu concert.
After leaving the regiment in 1945, Jim finished his engineering apprenticeship before joining the Merchant Navy, finally settling back in Scotland after meeting his late wife Isabel.
They had four children and he went on to become the Chief Engineer with Caledonian MacBrayne Ferries.
Today he lives independently in Largs, where friends and family held a part for him for his birthday.
His daughter Suzanne Kennedy, said: “Dad has been overwhelmed by all the attention, but he’s loved retelling some of his old tales once again.”
