Black Watch veteran Joe Womersley, right, with piper Charles Meanwell pay tribute on TuesdayD-DAY MEMORIES: D-DAY veteran Joe Womersley, who settled in Canada after the war, has been back to his former home in Little Bedwyn before going on to Normandy today to take part in the 60th anniversary commemoration.

Mr Womersley, 79, was one of the youngest men to see active service after lying about his age to join up.

He was just 17 when he took part in the Normandy landings and within days he was shot in the neck.

After three months in hospital having his jaw rebuilt, he returned to Europe and was later shot in the arm and was in hospital for four weeks before again returning to active duty.

Mr Womersley, who until a few years ago was still running marathons, settled in Canada after the war where he became a successful businessman.

He has been back in Marlborough this week staying with a niece, Annie Greenaway, in St Margaret's Mead.

He brought with him a Canadian friend, Charles Meanwell, who is a piper and whose own father served in the Second World War.

On Tuesday evening the pair went to the Great Bedwyn war memorial with Mr Womersley wearing the kilted uniform of his Black Watch regiment and Mr Meanwell wearing his father's Canadian battle blouse and regimental kilt. There Mr Womersley stood to attention while Mr Meanwell played a lament.

Mr Womersley met villagers he remembered from his childhood and spoke to children about his experiences in the war.

What he did not tell them, however, was that because of his experience as poacher in his childhood he was sent on missions in Normandy to capture Germans for interrogation. If his captives put up a struggle he was forced to kill them.

Mr Womersley recalled the stretcher bearers looking down on him and saying: "He won't make it."

He said: "In my life as a businessman those words have rung out so many times, that I wouldn't make it but I have always made it."