Born: 9 January, 1917, in London.
Died: 20 March, 2008, in Dorset, aged 91. DAVID Liddell, MC, demonstrated unerring courage as a soldier in the Second World War, then showed similar resilience and patience in business and as
a farmer. In the latter capacity he bred a herd of Friesian cows which won many prizes at shows in the south – notably the Supreme Champion at the London Dairy Show. In Scotland Liddell is remembered as an expert fly fisherman with a wide knowledge of Perthshire's rivers and lochs.
David Liddell was commissioned into the Cameronians 12th battalion (Scottish Rifles) in 1940 and had an early challenging experience when he was training in Scotland. Late one night he was ordered to take his company to a secret grid reference and was given a codeword which he knew was to be used only in the event of a German invasion. At the grid reference he was met, to his surprise, by some troops in steel helmets. They turned out to be a Polish division on a similar mission to his – to guard Rudolf Hess, Adolf Hitler's deputy, who had just crash-landed his plane in a nearby field.
Hess had flown to Britain on the outbreak of hostilities between Germany and Russia in the hope of securing a peace with Britain. In May 1941 he had flown solo to meet the Duke of Hamilton, parachuting down to Eaglesham near Glasgow. Liddell and his men stood guard until forces arrived and transferred Hess to the Maryhill army barracks.
Liddell thereafter saw service at Taranto in southern Italy with the Cameronians and was then seconded to the 5th battalion of the Essex Regiment, where he was involved with the fighting at Termoli on the Adriatic coast.
Just before Christmas 1943 Liddell's company was ordered to advance on a German parachute division which was holding a strong strategic position. Liddell's company maintained a post outside a village from which they could bombard the enemy – suffering considerable casualties.
Liddell, realising his forward machine gun posts were under severe bombardment from the enemy, crawled forward alone to an outer flank of the enemy's position. Throwing grenades at the German position he dislodged the post and destroyed the enemy position.
This act of bravery allowed the advance to continue and earned Liddell an MC. Liddell stayed with his company – despite a serious wound to his eyes – until he was forced to go to a field hospital. Undeterred, he rejoined his men but was further wounded and returned to England.
After the war he pursued a successful career in the City as a member of Lloyds and after his retirement in 1968 he farmed in Monmouthshire, where he devoted much of his energies to rearing Friesian cows.
In the mid-1970s Liddell came to live in Perthshire, where he could further his great love of fly-fishing. He was an expert angler with a sound knowledge of which fly would be most effective at any time on any particular stretch of his beloved River Lyon. He and his wife, Joan, both fished the Lyon and enjoyed living in their house overlooking Loch Tay.
Liddell returned to live in Dorset after his wife died. He is survived by their two sons and daughter.
The full article contains 548 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
