By Lars Niven

A FIFE man who fought and was captured during one of the bloodiest battles of the second world war celebrated his 100th birthday with a surprise party.

Arthur Beaton, from Cowdenbeath, was wounded at Monte Cassino in Italy while serving with The Black Watch and ended the war in a prisoner of war camp in Austria.

Mr Beaton, who was surrounded by three generations of his family at yesterday’s party, is believed to be the regiment’s oldest surviving soldier.

He lives at Leys Park nursing home in Dunfermline and staff there did him proud by laying on the party without him knowing.

Mr Beaton was born and brought up in Cowdenbeath, the second eldest of eight children.

After leaving school, he became an apprentice miner and as a young man took part in the general strike of 1926. He joined the army three years later and signed up for the Royal Scots.

However, once he had completed training, he joined The Black Watch and rose to become a sergeant within the regiment.

He married Alice Falconer, who died in 1983.

He saw action during the second world war and served in France, Gibraltar, Egypt and Italy.

As the Allies advanced through Italy, Mr Beaton took part in the battle for Monte Cassino. Two of his colleagues were killed in the fighting and he was hit in the face by shrapnel before being captured by the Germans. He spent the rest of the war in a PoW Camp in Austria.

Mr Beaton was still only 37 when he was released and returned home to Fife.

One of his proudest possessions, which hangs on his wall to this day, is the letter he received from the provost of Cowdenbeath thanking him on behalf of the community for his service.

Having returned home, he worked in a variety of jobs: in the mines, the railways and with Cowdenbeath Town Council.

His family grew as the couple’s only daughter, Elsie, married Martin Ewing and went on to have three sons.

Among the well-wishers who called at the nursing home were three generations of his family, including three grandsons, seven great-granddaughters and two great-grandsons.

They travelled from as far afield as Norway and England to be with him on such a special occasion.

His daughter said her father had no idea so many members of the family would turn up for his birthday, but added that summed him up.

“He’s a very modest man,” she said.

Over the course of the week, Mr Beaton also received the traditional card from the Queen, a letter from Prime Minister Gordon Brown and a personal message from the Prince of Wales.

The prince said he could not begin to imagine how Mr Beaton had coped with the war and being held captive. However, he added it was typical of a soldier of The Black Watch as they were made of “stern stuff.”

Members of the Fife branch of the Black Watch Association presented him with a new red hackle, the distinctive emblem worn on the regimental hat.

Rob Scott, chairman of the association, told The Courier it was a great honour to meet Mr Beaton.

“One of the things we pride ourselves on is that we are a regimental family,” he added.

Mr Beaton’s birthday cake was decorated with a picture of him in army uniform and when asked if he recognised himself, he said, “It must be my younger brother.”