231057 L/Cpl. Willliam Sutherland British Army 2nd Btn. Seaforth Highlanders from:Jedburgh In 1937, at the age of 16, Bill Sutherland joined the Territorials, so when the war broke out two years later he was involved from the start, joining the 4th Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers and going over to France with the British Expeditionary Force, later being evacuated from Dunkirk.
He was posted with the 2nd Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders in 51st Division, in May 1942 and went to North Africa, where he served as batman to a major. After its notable victory at El Alamein, the Eighth Army invaded Sicily and crossed into Italy, where Bill was involved in the capture of Salerno and Monte Cassino. After Italy surrendered, he returned home to prepare for the Normandy landings in 1944.
In August 1944 he was badly hurt when a German tank attacked the jeep he was driving in France and he had to be flown home.
In 2015 Bill was awarded the Chevalier in Ordre national de la Legion d'honneur, France's highest national honour, but unfortunately he passed away before he could receive it in person.
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