Scotland's last D-Day veteran Charlie Horne dies aged 100

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 7 Nov, 14:50 · Archive

Charlie Horne, one of Scotland's last surviving D-Day veterans, has died aged 100. Mr Horne, from Prestonpans in East Lothian, died on 3 November at Erskine Veterans Charity's Edinburgh home, where he had been living since the summer. His death came just a week before Remembrance Sunday.

Aged 18, Mr Horne served on minesweeper MMS 291, a small wooden vessel that came under fire on 6 June 1944. The Royal Naval Patrol Service minesweeper helped clear sea mines off Omaha Beach during the Normandy landings. Born into a fishing family, Mr Horne was an experienced seaman when he joined the crew. His vessel destroyed eight mines after leaving Plymouth, and German guns fired upon the minesweeping vessels as they sought to clear the sea for the approaching invasion force.

Mr Horne kept a handwritten diary of his experience, describing bombs, shells and flares lighting up the sky. He recorded seeing 'lots of wreckage' and dead servicemen in the water, while bullets fired from the shore landed within around 50 feet of his vessel. His diary also recalled how another minesweeper, MM299, struck a mine and the explosion 'blew her bows clean off'. The scenes of devastation he witnessed stayed with him for the rest of his life.

In a recent interview ahead of Remembrance Sunday, Mr Horne reflected on his wartime service. He said: 'I will never forget what I saw. I don't think you could live through something like that and ever really leave it behind, no matter how many years pass.' He continued: 'I was only 18 and there were ships being blown apart, men in the water and shells coming towards us from the shore.'

Mr Horne described the fear and camaraderie of the moment. He said: 'There were mines underneath us and you knew that one explosion in the wrong place could be the end of you and everyone around you. You were frightened, of course you were, but there wasn't time to sit and think about it. We had a job to do, the men beside you were relying on you, and you were relying on them, so you carried on.' After the war, he married his sweetheart Jenny and continued life as a seafarer.

How it is being reported

• Salute to a hero as one of Scotland's last surviving D-Day veterans dies aged 100One of Scotland's last surviving D-Day veterans, who helped clear sea mines off Omaha Beach during the Normandy landings, has died aged 100.Daily Mail · 7 Nov, 17:53
• D-Day veteran Charlie Horne who helped clear sea mines during Normandy landings dies at 100Charlie Horne, who lived in East Lothian, Scotland, has died just before Remembrance Sunday — and in an interview he had told reporters how he "never forgot" the devastation he saw 82 years agoThe Mirror · 7 Nov, 12:19
• D-Day veteran dies aged 100 just days before Remembrance SundayCharlie Horne was one of Scotland’s last surviving D-Day veteransThe Independent · 7 Nov, 08:20
• One of Scotland’s last D-Day veterans dies aged 100 just days before Remembrance SundayOne of Scotland’s last surviving D-Day veterans, who helped clear sea mines off Omaha Beach during the Normandy landings, has died aged 100. Charlie Horne has been remembered as "a remarkable man" whose recollections of his wartime service have been preserved for future generations. He died on Tuesday at Erskine Veterans Charity’s Edinburgh home, where he had been living since the summer. Mr Horne, who was from Prestonpans in East Lothian, said the scenes of devastation he saw as the Allied forces landed in France stayed with him for the rest of his life. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say…GB News · 7 Nov, 04:49

In this story: Charlie Horne · Prestonpans · East Lothian · Erskine Veterans Charity · Omaha Beach · Royal Naval Patrol Service · Plymouth

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