The pipes call, and the memories flow back

SUE FEA/141455

NOT FORGOTTEN: Scotsman Alastair Somerville, 87, of Arrowtown, toasts fallen comrades after Arrowtown's Anzac Day service and parade as he reflects on his time as a soldier in Britain's Eighth Army during World War II.

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War veteran Alastair Somerville, 87, has toughed it out under fire at Monte Cassino, in the Desert War and at Dunkirk, but a lone piper playing The Dark Island still brought a tear to the eye of the Scottish soldier.

Mr Somerville, who joined the New Zealand Returned Services Association only eight years ago, has worked worldwide as a civil engineer, and, although now settled in Arrowtown with wife, Jane, for 10 years, Saturday's Anzac march up Memorial Hill took him home to Scotland. "That lone piper playing The Dark Island ... that's where I come from it still brings a tear to my eye," Mr Somerville said in his broad Scottish accent.

In fact, he admits if it weren't for the pipe band he may not have been able to make the uphill climb to the memorial this year. "Fortunately there was a good pipe band in front of us so I was able to march behind to the beat," he said, grinning.

Mr Somerville, who turns 88 next month, served in the 4th Indian Division of Britain's Eighth Army spending time in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Palestine, Syria and Italy.

Like most war veterans he is modest about his swath of service medals.

"Oh, I don't even know what they're for, they're just medals they'll be going away until next year, they're getting a bit tattered," he said laughing.

Far more prominent in his memory are the close mates and his wife's brother, Eddie Egan, who did not come home after World War II."You keep thinking about the people who didn't make it like Jane's (wife) brother who was a Hurricane pilot he was killed on the last day of the Battle of Britain ... you shed a tear for all these people who didn't quite make it, that's what we think about (on Anzac Day)," Mr Somerville said.

But as a youngster of just 19 when he volunteered for war, Mr Somerville said he never doubted that he would make it home at the time, but with a young son and wife waiting, he was mighty glad when five years later he finally did.

Mr Somerville joined almost 1000 others at Arrowtown's Anzac commemorations before joining the march with more than 30 other mostly World War II veterans to Memorial Hill on Saturday.

- © Fairfax NZ News