Légion d'honneur for Church Member

Thursday November 26

^{Picture: Evening Chronicle}

A Church of Scotland member has been awarded the Légion d'honneur by the French government, in recognition of his part in the Normandy Invasion.

John Gillespie (Ian to his friends), was one of 17 people presented with France’s highest honour during the Festival of Remembrance in Durham Cathedral earlier this month. The presentation was made by the Honorary French consul, Andrew Robinson.

The French government has decided to award the honour to all surviving members of the British and Commonwealth forces who took part in the Normandy Invasion, which began the liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany.

Ian, a member of St Andrew’s Church of Scotland in Newcastle, was a Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers involved in Operation PLUTO (Pipe-Lines Under The Ocean). Following the Normandy Landings on D-Day (June 6 1944), Ian and his fellow engineers ran pipelines to the shore at Gold Beach at Arromanche, and then built two 1200 tonne petrol storage tanks near Bayeaux. This engineering achievement secured the petrol supply to the Allied armies and the RAF, by pumping a million gallons every day to facilitate the advance across Europe.
 
Ian was accompanied to Durham Cathedral by his immediate family, as well as Elise and Norman Macfarlane from St Andrew’s. He said: “I feel greatly honoured but sad that many of my army colleagues did not live long enough to receive the award. My medal is for them too.”
 
Ian was born in Glasgow and trained as a civil engineer. After the war, he worked at the Port of Tyne from 1953-1983.

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