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ALLAN LAING July 01 2005
Herald & Times
NOW he is the last soldier.
Of the 500,000 Scots who fought in the Great War, Alfred Anderson alone survives. Yesterday, at his home in Alyth, Perthshire, he was gently told of the death of Bill Elder, the only other Scottish veteran of the 1914-18 conflict. Mr Anderson, who celebrated his 109th birthday at the weekend, was as ever philosophical about the news. Sad, naturally, at the loss of an old comrade, but undaunted by the fact that, from the ranks of those who served king and country in the fields of France all those years ago, only he is left alive.
Typical of the man, his first thoughts were for Mr Elder's family, offering condolences for their loss. It was, he said, "quite a responsibility" suddenly to be told that he was his country's last survivor. Yet, he felt no different from when he was one of two. "It might take a wee while to sink in," he added. With each passing year, he has been aware of all the Great War veterans who have gone before him.
"I don't want to be morbid about it â “ that has never been my way â “ but it shows that there are limits to life and we've now reached it," he reflected, quietly.
"Back in the trenches, we didn't have the time to think of life. It was just a case of which of us would survive that day's skirmish. Now we're talking about being the sole survivor more than 90 years on." Frail he may be, but Alfred Anderson is still imbued with the spirit, the strength â “ and the humour â “ of the Old Contemptible he was and remains. He even found time for a joke at his own expense yesterday. "I suppose this makes me the last man standing â “ but it takes me all my time to stand these days," he said.
As a member of the Black Watch, Mr Anderson was among the first to join the British Expeditionary Force and cross the Channel in 1914. Unlike so many of his colleagues, he survived the war. Today, he is the oldest man in Scotland.
Bill Elder was an old man, too. A year younger than Alfred, he passed away peacefully earlier this week at a nursing home in England. He fought in two battles at Ypres and survived the bloody hand-to-hand warfare in the Somme. Born in Selkirk, Mr Elder served as an apprentice gardener on the Duke of Buccleuch's estate before joining the Royal Garrison Artillery in 1915 at the age of 18. After the war, he rejoined the duke's staff, working at his estate in Kettering, Northamptonshire. On his retirement, he remained in the Midlands.
The Buccleuchs never forgot him. Only last month, on his 108th birthday, the present duke came to visit him at the nursing home where he lived.
His family said that he seldom spoke about his experiences on the battlefields of France. At the age of 100, Mr Elder, a widower with 17 great-grandchildren, was awarded the Legion d'Honneur, France's top military award for bravery, in recognition of his courage.
The Black Watch expressed its pride that an old soldier from its ranks was now the sole surviving Scot from the First World War.Major Ronnie Proctor, of the Black Watch Association, said: "It is a great honour to have someone still with us who fought in the Great War."
Born in Dundee in 1896, Mr Anderson grew up with five brothers and sisters in Newtyle, Angus, where his father had a builder and joiner's business. After the war, he took over his father's business, married and had five children. For a time, he moved to his wife's native Yorkshire to find employment during the depression. His wife died some years ago but, fiercely independent, he still lives alone in his own bungalow in Alyth. Like Bill Elder, he was awarded France's Legion d'Honneur a few years ago.
Reflecting on his war days yesterday, he said that, despite the passage of time, Scotland would never forget the sacrifice its soldiers made during the Great War and all wars.
"But like other thing which are unpleasant, we should keep them at the back of our mind and think about the good things in life,'' he said.
And, with a final thought about being the last surviving veteran of the war, he added: "It's quite a responsibility, but I will cope with it. I just live for each day."
Herald & Times
NOW he is the last soldier.
Of the 500,000 Scots who fought in the Great War, Alfred Anderson alone survives. Yesterday, at his home in Alyth, Perthshire, he was gently told of the death of Bill Elder, the only other Scottish veteran of the 1914-18 conflict. Mr Anderson, who celebrated his 109th birthday at the weekend, was as ever philosophical about the news. Sad, naturally, at the loss of an old comrade, but undaunted by the fact that, from the ranks of those who served king and country in the fields of France all those years ago, only he is left alive.
Typical of the man, his first thoughts were for Mr Elder's family, offering condolences for their loss. It was, he said, "quite a responsibility" suddenly to be told that he was his country's last survivor. Yet, he felt no different from when he was one of two. "It might take a wee while to sink in," he added. With each passing year, he has been aware of all the Great War veterans who have gone before him.
"I don't want to be morbid about it â “ that has never been my way â “ but it shows that there are limits to life and we've now reached it," he reflected, quietly.
"Back in the trenches, we didn't have the time to think of life. It was just a case of which of us would survive that day's skirmish. Now we're talking about being the sole survivor more than 90 years on." Frail he may be, but Alfred Anderson is still imbued with the spirit, the strength â “ and the humour â “ of the Old Contemptible he was and remains. He even found time for a joke at his own expense yesterday. "I suppose this makes me the last man standing â “ but it takes me all my time to stand these days," he said.
As a member of the Black Watch, Mr Anderson was among the first to join the British Expeditionary Force and cross the Channel in 1914. Unlike so many of his colleagues, he survived the war. Today, he is the oldest man in Scotland.
Bill Elder was an old man, too. A year younger than Alfred, he passed away peacefully earlier this week at a nursing home in England. He fought in two battles at Ypres and survived the bloody hand-to-hand warfare in the Somme. Born in Selkirk, Mr Elder served as an apprentice gardener on the Duke of Buccleuch's estate before joining the Royal Garrison Artillery in 1915 at the age of 18. After the war, he rejoined the duke's staff, working at his estate in Kettering, Northamptonshire. On his retirement, he remained in the Midlands.
The Buccleuchs never forgot him. Only last month, on his 108th birthday, the present duke came to visit him at the nursing home where he lived.
His family said that he seldom spoke about his experiences on the battlefields of France. At the age of 100, Mr Elder, a widower with 17 great-grandchildren, was awarded the Legion d'Honneur, France's top military award for bravery, in recognition of his courage.
The Black Watch expressed its pride that an old soldier from its ranks was now the sole surviving Scot from the First World War.Major Ronnie Proctor, of the Black Watch Association, said: "It is a great honour to have someone still with us who fought in the Great War."
Born in Dundee in 1896, Mr Anderson grew up with five brothers and sisters in Newtyle, Angus, where his father had a builder and joiner's business. After the war, he took over his father's business, married and had five children. For a time, he moved to his wife's native Yorkshire to find employment during the depression. His wife died some years ago but, fiercely independent, he still lives alone in his own bungalow in Alyth. Like Bill Elder, he was awarded France's Legion d'Honneur a few years ago.
Reflecting on his war days yesterday, he said that, despite the passage of time, Scotland would never forget the sacrifice its soldiers made during the Great War and all wars.
"But like other thing which are unpleasant, we should keep them at the back of our mind and think about the good things in life,'' he said.
And, with a final thought about being the last surviving veteran of the war, he added: "It's quite a responsibility, but I will cope with it. I just live for each day."
