Royal Marine passes away
Andrew Gibson • Published 11 Feb 2012 05:00
A decorated war hero who served in over five countries during World War Two has passed away.
John McEwan, from Faifley, was one of the thousands of brave soldiers who stormed the Normandy beaches on D-day in 1944.
Despite being unable to swim, John was dropped in the sea close to the beach alongside his comrades and fought his way inland, suppressing Nazi forces.
During his five-year service John also fought in Italy, North Africa, Holland and Germany.
The former Royal Marine Commando passed away recently after a short battle with pneumonia.
The eldest of eleven siblings, John left Clydebank in 1940 when he signed up with the military.
Originally intending to join the Navy, the athletic Bankie was asked to join the Marines instead as officers felt they could best use his fitness in specialist land operations.
John's eldest daughter Joyce spoke to the Post on Monday before his funeral was scheduled to take place yesterday (Tuesday).
She said: "He was a quiet and unassuming man and would prefer to listen to others speak.
"He didn't talk much about the war for a long time - it wasn't until we were in our twenties and thirties.
"He told us he was at Normandy and jumped out with his backpack on and was getting shot at.
"When he was in Italy they were rounding up prisoners of war and taking them to camps and guarding them." On returning to Clydebank after the war John married Trudy - "the girl who lived upstairs" - and the pair had six children together.
A keen cyclist and walker, John kept himself in great physical shape and instilled this healthy philosophy in his children by making sure they walked instead of taking the bus.
However, his love of cycling did one day get him and his brother-in-law Jocky into some bother, as Joyce explained.
She said: "Jocky and my dad used to go on a tandem - they used to go away on a Sunday morning.
"One day they were going up towards the Cochno and Jocky said 'this bike doesn't feel right'.
"They were going downhill when the brakes failed and they went straight over the wall."
Later in life John continued to enjoy walking and playing bingo.
Devastated at the loss of his beloved Trudy when they were in their sixties, John continued to live his life for his children and was supported in his twilight years by his daughter Elaine.
The veteran attended military reunions in Normandy and the Dutch liberated settlement of Walcheren before passing away.
He died on January 30 - 19 years to the day after Trudy had passed away.
John is survived by his children Joyce, Elaine, James, John, Caroline and William as well as several grandchildren.
His funeral took place last week at the White Church in Faifley.
This article appeared in Clydebank Post 08 Feb 12
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