A war hero who fought in the Normandy landing campaign has been awarded France’s highest honour.
Alexander Davidson was given the Legion of Honour for his part in helping liberate France. The country has conferred on him the rank of “Chevalier”, or Knight.
He was presented with his medal by Major General Mike Riddell-Webster at The Black Watch Castle and Museum in Perth on Monday.
The 91-year-old served in The Black Watch-affiliated 1st battalion Tyneside Scottish and landed on the Continent six days after D-Day.
He said: “My mother, grandmother and an auntie had all died on a June 13, so it made me very nervous to be landing on D-Day plus six June 12.”
Mr Davidson fought in the Battle of Rauray and was eventually wounded while giving first aid to another injured soldier.
“I was in Mzidon and I was tending to an officer putting a bandage on his leg,” he said. “We were in a shop doorway and it was a narrow lane.
“A mortar bomb came down and all the windows were blown in. The bang nearly drove us daft it was the biggest fright of my life,” added Mr Davidson.
“I got hit in my left arm and I felt burning the shrapnel was red hot…”
Mr Davidson said: “At the age of 91 I never expected this. Some of my mates did some really brave deeds and took tremendous risks and didn’t get a medal.”
Mr Davidson returned to Normandy for the first time last year as part of the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
Born in a “humble” home in Dundee’s Cherryfield Lane in 1924, Mr Davidson was the second of three children born to John and Rebecca.
After being demobbed in 1947 he worked as a lorry driver and met Phyllis in Lancashire. They married in 1949.
Phyllis died in 2008 and Mr Davidson now lives in Tullis House sheltered housing in Monifieth.