Scottish World War II hero Sandy Cortmann paid a poignant tribute to a lost pal as he attended a special service in Arnhem on Sunday.
Ex-Paratrooper Sandy, from Aberdeen, was in the Dutch city to mark the 75th anniversary of Operation Market Garden which cost the lives of 1500 British soldiers.
And yesterday the 97-year-old joined other veterans and a crowd of thousands for commemoration service at Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery.
And after the service Sandy headed to the graveside of one of the heroes who lost their lives in September 1944 – his pal Private Gordon Matthew of the Parachute Regiment.
In an emotional, personal tribute to one of the fallen, Sandy hugged the gravestone of his friend while laying a wreath with a message to "my best pal Gordon".
His pal, who had a “happy smiling face”, was killed instantly by a mortar shell during the fighting aged just 20 with Sandy later stumbling across his remains.
Sandy, who also toasted his lost comrade with a dram, said: “I often wonder if any of his family are still alive – and if they are, I would like to meet them just to say I knew Gordon
“I wanted to come back. I wanted to see Gordon’s stone so I could look at him and speak to him and just say, ‘Hi pal’, and think about him for a wee while.”
As the emotional veteran remembered his friend, he was approached by a man clutching a photo of a young Mr Matthews.
Allan Price, 52, a cobbler from Worcester, had discovered that Mr Matthews was from his home town and has been visiting his grave for the last four years to lay a cross.
He said: "For me, it's just a little something for a chap from home and then to walk up when I normally walk and to see 30, 40 people surrounding it... I was just wondering what it was all about."
"It was a bit overwhelming, it's a surprise," he added.
Mr Price, who has no relation to Mr Matthews, passed the photo to Mr Cortmann who clutched it to his chest, as a crowd of onlookers, many in tears, watched.
"To meet any of the veterans is an honour and a privilege," said Mr Price, who has committed to providing Sandy with more information about this friend.
He added: "To be able to come out to pay a little bit of respect, I thought is the least I can do."
Just two years ago, the full extent of Sandy's Battle of Arnhem experiences was largely unknown by family and carers.
Friend and ex-paratrooper Gary Haughton, 52, who lives in Aberdeen, helped him connect with military associations, get a new uniform and complete the journey back to Arnhem for the first time.
A tearful Mr Haughton said it was "emotional and memorable" to see Sandy at Mr Matthews's graveside.
He added: "He's the mould I was made from, the future generation of paratroopers were made from, the standards we adhere to."
Sandy, whose wife Joan and children Alan and Susan have died, said his friendGordon was "always smiling" and that it had been "great living with him and all the others".
Speaking by the grave, he said: "You just feel you're with him and he's there."
"He would probably say, 'what about that 30 bob that I lent?'
"I will give it next week, Gordon," Sandy joked.
On Saturday, Sandy had recreated his parachute jump over the Dutch city in a tandem drop with the Red Devils before being congratulated by Prince Charles.
After speaking to the Prince of Wales, Sandy described his jump as "thoroughly terrifying", adding: "When the door opened I thought, Christ, what a way down."
Sandy was captured during the battle of Arhnhem – one of 6500 soldiers taken prisoner during the battle – and he was held in Germany for a year before being liberated.
After the war, he worked as a plumber.
(Source: Graeme Thomson, Daily Record- 22/9/2019)
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real-life/scottish-world-war-2-hero-20144420
