By Graham Brown

THE MAN who was the last survivor of 1914’s western front Christmas truce is to be remembered at a special event in his home village later this week.

Alfred Anderson left Newtyle to serve in The Black Watch during a life described as “extraordinary” in the tributes paid to him last November when he died, aged 109—Scotland’s oldest man.

A lifetime which saw the passing of two world wars, the reign of six monarchs and the election of 26 prime ministers also brought personal recognition for Mr Anderson when he was awarded France’s Legion d’Honneur in 1998.

On Thursday evening a group of loyal friends will make their own poignant tribute to him when a portrait of the veteran is unveiled by Sir James Cayzer in Newtyle Royal British Legion, which Alfred was instrumental in founding.

Villager and former Angus District councillor Andy Thomson said the portrait was commissioned to honour Mr Anderson, who never forgot his roots.

Mr Anderson took over his father’s joinery business in Newtyle after being invalided out of the army in 1916 and served for a period as batman to the brother of the late Queen Mother.

Mr Thomson, said, “On Remembrance Day each year we would have a small get together after the service at the Belmont Arms and Alfred Anderson used to come as our special guest.

“He was unable to get to the gatherings in the last couple of years of his life, but we thought it was only fitting that we have some remembrance of him.”