Tribute paid to Eastbourne war hero who served during D-Day

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The children of a war hero from Eastbourne have paid tribute to their father ahead of the anniversary of D-Day.

Gordon Victor Mackay served with the British Army from June 1939 until he was de-mobbed in April 1946.

Having served in D-Day, Mr Mackay’s children – Dianne McKie and Donald Mackay – have paid tribute to their late father and shared excerpts from his memoirs, ahead of the 80th anniversary.

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Dianne said: “We are incredibly proud of our late father, Gordon Victor Mackay, who, despite his surname and service in a Highland Division, was a southerner born and bred, from Eastbourne.

Gordon Victor Mackay: D-Day Veteran. Picture: Dianne McKieGordon Victor Mackay: D-Day Veteran. Picture: Dianne McKie
Gordon Victor Mackay: D-Day Veteran. Picture: Dianne McKie

"One of his clearest memories is sailing from Tilbury to the marshalling area – the ship passed a few miles off Eastbourne and Beachy Head.

“From the deck he saw the hotels and the pier plus the beaches and South Downs where he'd played as a boy. Although he couldn’t see the road itself, he could make out Meads, the part of town where the family home had stood, and wondered whether he’d ever see it again.”

In his memoirs, Mr Mackay wrote about his experience of being part of the D-Day invasion force ‘S’.

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While heading for the Normandy coast, he described how there was an ‘almighty series of loud explosions’ as German soldiers attacked the convoy.

His memoirs state: “A Liberty Ship named the Sambut just astern of us received a direct hit on the bridge, killing and injuring many others…

"Soon however, we were clear of the danger area and continued sailing down the channel passing Eastbourne and Beachy Head.

"As we anxiously waited for our turn to go ashore, we had by now had time to take account and realise fully the extent of this massive operation which had begun around 24 hours earlier.

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“As darkness fell the shore was brightly lit by fires and the noise of gunfire seemed endless. The ships around us stood out vividly making them easy targets for the attacking German aircraft. Each ship had a balloon attached by a cable in order to prevent enemy aircraft from attacking at a low altitude. Luckily none fell near us.”

Mr Mackay, who passed away in 2022, aged 101, served with the 275 Field Company Royal Engineers with the 51st Highland Division.

In addition to D-Day, he also took part in many major battles in World War Two including: Dunkirk, the Western Desert campaign, and the invasion of the Low Countries.

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