Normandy veteran from Wick celebrates 100th birthday
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A WAR veteran from Wick celebrated his 100th birthday recently in North Wales.
Marcus Mackay MacLeod served in the Royal Engineers and was involved in the construction of one of the temporary Mulberry harbours for the D-Day landings.
Born in Pulteneytown in April 1919, he followed his father into the building trade. After completing his stonemason apprenticeship he moved to Glasgow, then Kinross, where he received his call-up papers at the start of World War II.
Mr MacLeod saw service in Norway, North Africa, Italy, Belgium and Germany as well as France.
The portable harbour he worked on for the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944 – Mulberry “B” – was built off Gold Beach at Arromanches to supply British troops.
He has since been awarded the Legion d’honneur from the French government to recognise his role in liberating the country.
Mr MacLeod received his discharge papers in Germany in 1946 and following demob worked in local government in Stirling and later in Leicestershire. He joined the NatWest Bank as a surveyor in 1971 and his work took him to London and Wales until retirement in 1984.
He celebrated his 100th birthday with family and friends from near and far at a cricket club close to his home in Rhos-on-Sea.
