Fife legend Jimmy Sinclair's portrait in new exhibition to mark VE Day 75 years on

Kirkcaldy’s most respected old soldier, Jimmy Sinclair, is set to feature in a special exhibition to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

He features in a series of stunning portraits of veterans from the Second World War which will be launched online to honour the landmark anniversary on Thursday.

Jimmy, now aged 107, is the oldest living Desert Rat.

He fought against against Rommel in the north African desert, serving as a gunner with the elite Chestnut Troop, 1st Regiment Horse Artillery, of the 7th Armoured Division.

Armed Forces charities Legion Scotland and Poppyscotland commissioned renowned photographer, Wattie Cheung, to take the porrtraits of Second World War veterans as part of the national celebration of the important milestone.

It had been planned to display them at formal VE 75th anniversary events in Edinburgh, the coronavirus pandemic forced their postponement.

Now, the portraits have been launched online, and shared with the media to tell the stories of the veterans as part of the revised programme of “virtual” VE Day activities.

The men and women were photographed on a Graflex Super D large format film camera made in the USA in the 1940s – and all have their own personal story to tell about that historic day on May 8, 1945 when the surrender of Nazi Germany’s armed forces was formally accepted by the Allies.

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/people/rise-shopping-trips-fifers-despite-lockdown-2841758

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/people/kirkcaldy-gran-helps-feed-community-soup-2841688

Dr Claire Armstrong, CEO at Legion Scotland, said: “These images are nothing short of breathtaking – and are only matched by the stories of bravery that go alongside them. They will serve as a poignant reminder to the generations that follow, and we are grateful to have such a wonderful resource.

“As the custodians of Remembrance in Scotland, our involvement in VE Day so important. They allow our communities to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, or who returned from battles in foreign lands with life-changing injuries. We will remember them and, even during this unprecedented pandemic, our enduring message of comradeship comes very much to the fore.

“And what better way to pay tribute to those still with us through this stunning collection of poignant images.”

She said it was important to find a way of marking the anniversary in lockdown and bring people together to pay their respects via a virtual service and concert on Friday to salute those who gave so much in service of our country.

Jimmy’s portrait is featured alongside images from his war years as a young man.

Looking back, he said: “It’s a pity it all happened. We didn’t treat the Germans as enemies; they were combatants in battle. Most of them didn’t want to be there either.”

For Wattie, from Glasgow, the exhibition is the culmination of two years of work.

He said: “My job as a press photographer is to tell stories and I’ve always been impressed by the veterans I have photographed at the annual Remembrance Day ceremonies over the past 25 years.

“I have noticed in the past few years that there have been fewer veterans coming back to the ceremonies and always had in the back of mind that I should do something for a project.

“When I got hold of the vintage Graflex camera with a view to do a project of portraits it seemed a perfect match to use a camera built in the 1940s to photograph the Second World War veterans.”

He said it was a “pleasure and honour” to capture the striking images of the servicemen and women.

“I always think photography is like a time machine – it captures a moment forever that you can go back to, to relive and observe another time,” he said. “The veterans are a link to the past and they won’t be around forever to tell their stories.

“Listening to their recollections of the war has been enlightening, humorous and educational. They are a special breed of people that I doubt we will ever see again and I hope the portraits do them justice.”

The exhibition is also available to view at the Legion Scotland and Poppyscotland Facebook pages

www.facebook.com/LegionScotland

www.facebook.com/Poppyscotland

A virtual Service of Remembrance and virtual tribute concert will be broadcast at 11:00 and 12:00 on Friday from the Facebook pages

While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you - wherever possible and providing it is safe for you to do so - to also please purchase a copy of our newspapers; the Fife Free Press, Fife Herald, St Andrews Citizen, East Fife Mail and Glenrothes Gazette.

Inevitably falling advertising revenues will start to have an impact on local newspapers and the way we continue to work during this period of uncertainty.

The support of our readers has never been more important as we try to make sure that we keep you connected with your community during this time. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. We need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Our team of trusted reporters are working incredibly hard behind the scenes - from kitchen tables and spare bedrooms - to look at how we can do this, and your continued support of our newspapers across Fife will help to protect their viability in the days and weeks ahead.

For more details on our subscription offers please visit email [email protected] or call us on 0330 4033004

Thank you

Allan Crow, Editor, Fife Free Press