In June of last year I was very honoured to meet Geordie, a skipper of a small boat in the Shetland isles. He runs trips to Noss and other areas around the amazing coast of Shetland to show the birdlife and other wildlife to many visitors. He also feeds and looks after the Seals that enter the harbour once they see his small trawler ship coming into port. In many decades he had never had a photo of his craft or himself and those Seals so during my trip there I took some and surpised him on our last day. The reason- Because at the age of 18 he was in the Navy and drove one of the landing crafts on D-Day. I was in owe of him a quite gentlman. My friend Iain Sloan introduced me to him, he was very reserved at first. But over time opened up and told me of that day in parts. The pain and horror still in his eyes. He drove the landing crafts in, lowered the ramp to deafening pings of bullets, not many of the soldiers made it off and he had to raise the ramp to go back to the larger ships to collect more with soldiers trapped, hanging on scared and wounded,moaning and choking on their own blood, and he told me he was unable to help them and that still causes him pain. He did this throughout the landings on that morning and told me what he saw , I had a lump in my throat and I wanted to do something for him, so this made me to get some images of the seals he looks after and his craft. On the last day i gave them him, had them printed up and framed while I was there and he was speechless.I thanked him for his part and on behalf of all those he tired to save and helped during that shocking morning out of respect. We owe these guys so much, a lesson in courage and respect and humanity. Im returning to the Shetland Islands soon with this years clients and Im looking forward to seeing him again. On this day I remember you my friend and I hope youre well.
Posted on: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 12:56:17 +0000
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