William Gordon McPherson, known universally as WG, looked an unlikely candidate as a member of any special forces unit.
A wartime volunteer into the Home Guard in his native Huntly, Aberdeenshire, he was quickly moved into what were termed special undercover auxiliary units.
Short, pawky, and with glasses, he would never stand out in any crowd which perhaps was a reason for his selection. In fact, it was his qualities of reliability and strength of purpose which drew the attention of his commanding officer.
Had invasion been realised, the task spelt out to WG was that he and his auxiliary unit would leave their base, take to the hills, pick up ammunition and supplies from a secret hideout, then fight to hinder the invaders as much
as possible.
He learned, too, that survival was not necessarily an option. Stood down in 1944, he and his comrades gained belated recognition for their courage when, in 1996, WG received a commemorative medal through the post.
McPherson was born in Granary Street, Huntly, and died in a house opposite. A rare venture away would be to the family croft of Culdrain.
Not that the world passed him by: educated at the Gordon Schools in the burgh, he developed early interests in reading and writing, and would attempt the occasional poem.
Even as a youngster, he took note of his surroundings, observations that were to prove extremely valuable when as an old man he took to writing of Huntly at the beginning of the twentieth century.
He published Antrin Thochts, stories and poems in the Doric, followed by Antrin Thochts in Aulden Days, a collection of stories and pictures of the town.
He collected the stories he had told his children, an anthology called The Adventures of Sir Gobbledy Grumff. He provided a ready pen for the correspondence columns of local and national newspapers and in the early 1990s contributed a weekly column to the Huntly Express.
After working in a bank in Rhynie and on the family farm, WG joined the then department of agriculture as a calf puncher. Under the scheme then worked, it was essential that calves being sold at market were clearly identified as both being under 12 months' old and having subsidy. To prevent unscrupulous farmers claiming twice, WG's job was to mark calves by punching a hole in an ear.
He became widely known over a large area, and gladly soaked up tales and lore to add to his repertoire as a raconteur.
Some of these reminiscences came out in his 20 years as commentator to the annual Lonach Highland Gathering in Strathdon, and the illustrated lectures he gave.
He brought interest to many lives, and freely gave of his knowledge. A lifetime lover of the countryside, he was a keen fisherman who also tied his own flies.
He was an elder at Rhynie Kirk for 33 years, and sometime session clerk.
He was predeceased by his wife Florence (nee Bain).
His ashes are due to be scattered with hers within the prehistoric fort on the summit of 1850ft Tap o Noth, a hill seen by him every day of his life.
He died in his 95th year, and is survived by his sister, Isabel, children, Charlie and Moira, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, Alex and Callum.
William Gordon McPherson; born March 23, 1907, died January 12, 2002.
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