Veteran Argyll from Dennyloanhead clocks up his centenary

Stephen O Hagan Lynn married wife Edith at the end of the war, and brought up children Peter, Anthony, Michael, Joyce and Christine.

But that rich family life might have never happened if he had been just a little less lucky during the Dunkirk campaign of 1940.

As an Argylls man Mr Lynn was with the 51st Highland Division when it was diverted away from the mass evacuation of British troops and into the path of the invading Nazi panzers.

He said: “I blame the politicians for what happened - the Division was sent as a sop to the French, who were complaining about lack of reinforcements.

“The entire Division was forced to surrender to the Germans, because it had no chance. I escaped because as I was wounded I was allowed to try.”

He outpaced the advancing Germans and motored as far south as possible in a Bren gun carrier (a general purpose tracked vehicle), reaching Le Mans.

While many of his comrades endured increasingly brutal conditions as German prisoners he was able to escape to Britain, and once he had recovered from his wound spent much of the war in the Orkneys, where a replacement 51st Highland Divsion was steadily being mustered.

Far from being out of harm’s way he was back in France days after the initial June 6, 1944 landings which marked the beginning of the Allied liberation of Western Europe. This time it was the Germans’ turn to retreat.

He was wounded again in the Battle for Caen, but again survived - to see final victory over the Nazis take place at last.

The years 1939 to 1945 were only a small slice of his long and successful life, but he says the memory of those terrible days is still vivid in his memory, and that he can never forget.

Mr Lynn lived at Watson Place in Dennyloanhead both before and after the war, also lived in Banknock and worked at both Steins and the power station before becoming a school teacher in the 1960’s.

He taught music, gained a good job at a school in London, and made his family life in England.

His 100th birthday party was in a well-chosen inn near Colchester, and there’s soon to be a second celebration when his daughter Christine arrives from Canada.

It perhaps goes without saying that for Mr Lynn and his family this will be one very special Christmas.