A WAR veteran who tricked his way into the Canadian army at the age of 13 saw his dream come true yesterday when his comrades were commemorated at a ceremony in Argyll.
Colonel Donald Thompson, of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa, was one of 250,000 Allied soldiers who trained at Inveraray during the Second World War.
Having felt that the part Canadians played in winning the Second World War was under-represented, he suggested to the Canadian government that something should be done.
Yesterday, a service was held at Inveraray church followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the town's war memorial attended by dignitaries and veterans representing British and Canadian forces.
A commemorative display was also unveiled at the combined operations museum at Inveraray Castle, where troops from Canada trained alongside British, American, Free French, Polish, Dutch, Norwegian, and Russian soldiers.
Colonel Thompson, now 75, left the army in 1946 and returned home to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, where he dedicated his life to veterans' affairs.
The retired chairman of the Canadian War Veterans Allowance Board recalled how he had lied about his age in 1935 and enlisted in the army reserves aged 13.
''I said I was 17 and was promoted to corporal at 14. Our regiment was mobilised on August 26 1939 and I went overseas in 1942.''
Colonel Thompson added: ''When you come back to Inveraray, you always think of the fellows who were with you. When a soldier does his job, he doesn't do it for the generals or the pay. He doesn't want to let his friends down.''
Colonel Thompson's ankle was seriously wounded during the Normandy campaign of 1944 but he demanded to be sent back to the front.
However, yesterday he laid aside the harsh memories of conflict to joke: ''We didn't get out to socialise at Inveraray, it rained a lot and our boots were always wet.''
Former Royal Canadian Artillery gunner Edgar Howlett, 74, a native of Cambridge, Ontario, landed close to Colonel Thompson's machine gun unit at Juno beach, Normandy, after training at Inveraray. He also attended yesterday's ceremony.
Mr Howlett, who now lives in Hawick with his Scottish wife Margaret, said: ''I heard about the ceremony through the Canadian Veterans Association and I would not have wanted to miss today.''
Mr Wayne Ramsay, spokesman for Veterans Affairs Canada, said: ''They are having a wonderful time and they can't believe they are meeting other veterans after so long.
''We have had an excellent reception from the people here and it's an honour for the Canadian government.''
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