Robert Miller

This is in memory of my uncle without his love, support and guidance I wont not have grown up knowing what true dedication to someone is. My mother was unmarried and I was brought up by her my three uncle and an aunt. My Uncle Robert was my strength, my role model and my rock. The real gift he gave me was his unconditional love.
As a young man my uncle was a regular soldier joining up at the age of sixteen years. He subsequently served in the far east and the Rhine Land. This was prior to the second world war. When war broke out in September 1939 he was at the Gaumont Cinema which was demolished many years ago. He was there with his nephew my cousin who died in 1984. A message came up on the screen for him instructing him to go immediately to his barracks to report for duty. He was then sent to France with his regiment the Cameron Highlanders because unfortunately war had been declared between Britain and Germany. I still have a birthday message he sent to his mother from France. As a regimental musician he was a stretcher barer. He was captured by the Germans as many of the Highland Division were prior to Dunkirk and marched from France to Germany then Poland where he remained for four and half years as a P.O.W. He was repatriated home just before I was born.
He was unmarried and so never had children of his own. As a child I could rely on him for anything even taking care of my cuts and bruises which were always treated with T.C.P. an antiseptic he used in the army and the smell to this day has fond memories for me.
From a young age he introduced me sound values and his patience and unselfishness is something I hope I have embodied in my life.
The last years of his life were spent in hospital on the site of the Scottish Parliament. As an old soldier he would have loved the thought of his last days being spent in the shadow of Scotland's first parliament for three hundred years.
His wisdom supports me during the challenging times. Thank you

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