A former captain of the Queens Own Highlanders has completed an epic cycle retracing the heroic escape route undertaken by his great uncle.
Giles Nevill, who served from 1985 to 1994, used diary entries as guide points as he retraced the steps of Brigadier Ronnie Mackintosh-Walker across the length of France.
His relative escaped the clutches of the Germans following capture at St Valery in 1940, alongside an estimated 10,000 Highlander soldiers.
Throughout the mammoth challenge, Capt Nevill has been raising funds to support the work of Veterans With Dogs, a charity which provides and trains assistance dogs for veterans suffering from mental health conditions.
He said: “The real conclusion I have come to after doing this is that it is a long hard cycle ride just as a physical challenge, but for Uncle Ron and Thomas Rennie who he did it with, that didn’t seem to feature at all in his thinking.
“His was all about survival and escape.
“If you consider they didn’t have access to food as and when they wanted it, accommodation wasn’t as freely available – nothing was for sure.
“They had trouble with lack of food, lack of accommodation, unreliable bikes and they had the German’s chasing them – it was unbelievable what they did.
“It is hard enough doing it under perfect conditions and I can’t imagine what it was like to do it under the pressure they were under.
“It is a truly astounding thing that they did all that time ago.”
Brigadier Mackintosh-Walker joined the Seaforth Highlanders at the Battle of the Somme in July 1916, as a lieutenant, aged just 18.
He was awarded three Military Crosses for exceptional courage and bravery in the face of the enemy by the time he was 19.
He returned to action during the Second World War, only to be captured when the 51st Highland Division surrendered.
Brigadier Mackintosh-Walker escaped as the troops were marched across northern France, making his break for freedom near Lille then cycling down to Marseille, before crossing the Pyrenees into Spain.
He later returned to Scotland via Portugal.
Brigadier Mackintosh-Walker returned to the fray before he was killed while commanding 227 Highland Brigade shortly after D-Day on July 16 1944, aged 46, at Baron-sur-Odon.
Capt Nevill represented the Highlanders at St Valery on June 12, 80 years on from the battle, where he lay an item of remembrance at the 51st Highland Division Memorial that overlooks the village.
Capt Nevill was also able to honour a Moray veteran by paying respects to two of his best friends who were killed at St Valery.
He added: “If somebody from Britain had been able to get there it would have certainly been a senior officer or maybe even Prince Charles, so it was a real honour.
“I was also able to pay respects on behalf of Donald Smith, a Seaforth veteran who lives in Forres.
“His two best mates Bernard Finn and Edward Clark were killed either side of him when they were hit by an airburst on the battle for St Valery.
“Both of them are buried at St Valery in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery there. I promised Donald I would go and pay my respects to those two.
“From an individual point of view that was a real moment.”
His effort has so far raised more than £26,000.
Donations towards the fundraiser can be granted online here.
