Remembrance

Keith Norman kindly donated £500 to the Scott Sutherland Project in memory of his father, S A Norman. Keith served with 289 Royal Horse Artillery and his Dad served in the Royal Navy during WWII. I have let Keith's words speak for themselves as he phrases it so eloquently. Keith wanted to support the Scott Sutherland Project on behalf of his father who had served alongside the wartime Commandos.

'My father, who had he been alive he would have been 'tickled pink' as he served with the  Commando's during 1941/42 at Inverurie as a leading seaman along with (a peacetime actor known as Alex Guiness) they called themselves 'the Commando taxi service' because their initial function was to deliver Commando's to various places deep up Norwegian fjords, off load undercover of darkness on a receding tide, beach the landing craft, cover it with bracken and wait - wait until the 'Lads' returned after disrupting and killing as many of the German occupying forces as possible.  Before the 'Lads' returned the landing craft would be relaunched on a rising tide with its door open-lowered and the engine ticking over, by which time it was daylight and there was always a cliff behind the beach which the 'Lads' had initially climbed but were now scrabbling down at speed bringing half the (very angry) German Army with them who were determined to destroy both the 'Lads' and their landing craft,  so what ensued was a massive open firefight with little or no cover untill they got out of range.  My father generated an unequivocal lifelong respect and admiration for the exemplary bravery of all Commando's so it would be most appropriate for him to make the donation (S.A.Norman).'

Thank you Keith.