JOHN McGhee - Cowdenbeath’s last surviving D Day veteran –last week joined as the 600th member of SNP Beath Branch.

The SNP candidate for the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath seat at the General Election, Roger Mullin, was at John’s home in Gardiner Road on Wednesday to welcome the 90 year-old into the party.

John said, “I am backing Roger Mullin and the SNP because we need SNP MPs to fight for Scotland. “The more SNP MPs we have, the stronger our voice and the more Westminster will need to listen to us.” Roger was delighted to meet John and welcome him aboard the SNP in time for the General Election campaign.

In June John was guest of honour at a civic reception held at Brunton House, in the town, held by Fife Council as the town’s last remaining D Day veteran.

The man, who fought on Sword Beach with the Royal Marines, had a busy day attending a commemoration event at the memorial garden, in Kirkcaldy, before checking out what had been happening over in Normandy through his television screen, and then heading to the council offices at Brunton House, for the 6pm reception.

There he met Provost of Fife, Jim Leishman; MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, Gordon Brown; Graeme Bennet, depute Lord Lieutenant of Fife; MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Jayne Baxter; and local councillors.

He unveiled a plaque which had the names of people from the Cowdenbeath area who died during the Second World War.

Now 90, John still remembers the happenings of D Day as if it was yesterday and he also recalled the many comrades who lost their lives on Sword Beach.