WHEN George McFarlane saw the haunted faces of Jews in the terrible aftermath of World War II, he couldn’t forget them.

Despite returning to Scotland to pursue a job as a telecomms engineer, the pensioner never turned his back on his experience in the British army, writes Sara Hilley.

The 85-year-old, from Dalry, dedicated 27 years to the Ayrshire Army Cadets – which has just earned him a gold medal from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

It is also thanks to George, a former secretary of the Ayrshire British Legion, that Holocaust Day is now marked locally.

George said: “I was sent over to watch the Germans after the war. I was based near the Belsen concentration camp. The Jews were left with nothing. We gave them jobs doing laundry so they could earn some money until they found something better. Many had no homes left to go to.

“These people have suffered so I put forward a motion that the Legion observe Holocaust Day on January 27. I was backed 100 per cent. That pleased me.” George, originally from Ballantrae, sadly lost his wife Mary last year. He has three daughters: Margaret, Shona and Elizabeth.

His job took him to Dalry in 1970 where he progressed to the rank of captain in the town’s cadet force.   George said: “I was quite surprised to get the award for running the cadets. Some of them misbehaved as they were just young lads. I used to tell them to run around the park until I said they could stop. It went down quite well and calmed them down. They have never been in any bother so something must have worked.” During his time, they took a visit to an army base in Sennelager in Germany.

There they got a thrilling helicopter flight to the Mohne Dam on the same route used by the the Dambusters during the war.

Recalling his first taste of war as a telegraph  boy, George said: “I was only a boy and had to bring the news to parents that their sons had died. It was a lot for a 13-year-old.”