Who's The Soldier ? Longstop Hill 1943
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:36 amDear All
This famous photo shows soldiers of the 8th Argylls, 36th Infantry Bde, 78th (Battleaxe) Division, 1st Army, moving to their assault start-line at Longstop Hill, Tunisia, 23rd April 1943. Their advance is being covered by a Churchill Tank. A fierce battle for Longstop Hill resulted in its capture by the Argylls and the division, during which the 8th Argylls' CO, Major J.T.McK. Anderson, won the VC.
The second soldier you see advancing in the photo is a Tayinloan man. I met him about 1969 at the pub in Tayinloan, when our family and Highland friends from Edinburgh put on a ceilidh in the Village Hall. My dad knew who he was of course and introduced me. As a lad, I was somewhat in awe at seeing this veteran who had been in a famous war-photo and getting to shake his hand !
But unfortunately nowadays, I cannot remember his name, no matter how hard I try.
Can anyone please identify him for me (again !) ?
This famous photo shows soldiers of the 8th Argylls, 36th Infantry Bde, 78th (Battleaxe) Division, 1st Army, moving to their assault start-line at Longstop Hill, Tunisia, 23rd April 1943. Their advance is being covered by a Churchill Tank. A fierce battle for Longstop Hill resulted in its capture by the Argylls and the division, during which the 8th Argylls' CO, Major J.T.McK. Anderson, won the VC.
The second soldier you see advancing in the photo is a Tayinloan man. I met him about 1969 at the pub in Tayinloan, when our family and Highland friends from Edinburgh put on a ceilidh in the Village Hall. My dad knew who he was of course and introduced me. As a lad, I was somewhat in awe at seeing this veteran who had been in a famous war-photo and getting to shake his hand !
But unfortunately nowadays, I cannot remember his name, no matter how hard I try.
Can anyone please identify him for me (again !) ?
