Sisterson

John Sisterson enlisted in the 1st Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers in 1932, and served with them in Palestine and Malta.

Called back to the Battalion in September 1939, he went to France with the BEF. In 1940 he fought in the rearguard actions back towards Dunkirk, including the stand at Furnes, and came home on HMS Malcolm – helping to carry a wounded soldier aboard on a stretcher.

He landed on Sword Beach on 6 June 1944.

As C.Q.M.S. he is named in a newspaper report after the Escaut Canal crossing – see our post 400 Yard Dash at the Escaut Canal – and in the Borderers' Chronicle.

His signature is on our 50 Franc Note – see his entry here.

He left the 1st Battalion in 1945 (Borderers' Chronicle, September 1945, p.112) and finished his service with the 5th KOSB. He was discharged in November 1945, and was living in Alnwick, Northumberland, when he applied for his medals.

In 2004 his son wrote about his father's Dunkirk story for the BBC's WW2 People's War – read it here. John was then 87.

The picture is the newspaper report that names him.