An Army reservist has undertaken an emotional journey to the Netherlands, walking in his grandfather's footsteps on the very battlefield where Allied forces fought to liberate Europe from Nazi occupation.
A Personal Pilgrimage to History
Colour Sergeant James Gould, a 51-year-old serving with 6th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (6 SCOTS), commemorated the 81st anniversary of Operation Infatuate alongside fellow reservists during Exercise Lowland Poppy. The battlefield study took him to Walcheren island, where his grandfather, Private Thomas Polson, had fought through floodwaters in November 1944.
The operation formed part of the larger Battle of the Scheldt, a crucial British and Canadian offensive that lasted a week. Allied troops battled through submerged streets to capture the heavily fortified Hotel Britannia, which served as headquarters for German garrison commander Oberst Reinhardt and was protected by trenches, bunkers and machine gun posts.
"It was incredible to walk the same ground my grandad did," Mr Gould said ahead of Remembrance Sunday. "He never really spoke about it when I was growing up, so to stand where he once stood really brought it home. I was proud to know that he was there, participated in the battle in whatever role he played."
Four Generations of Service
Mr Gould's connection to military service runs deep through his family history. His grandfather, who survived the war and later worked as a hairdresser in Edinburgh before his death in 1999, had returned to Walcheren for the 50th anniversary commemorations in 1994.
"Battlefield studies are brilliant for soldiers," Mr Gould explained. "You learn how operations were fought, the challenges of leadership, and you see things from both sides. Doing that on the ground adds a whole new layer to it – but this one was different for me. It wasn't just a professional exercise, it was personal, and I wasn't just learning about history; I was following my family's footsteps."
Further research revealed that Mr Gould's great-grandfather, Charles Fisher, served during the First World War, fighting in the Battle of Passchendaele with the King's Own Scottish Borderers. With his uncle and brother also serving in the military, Mr Gould has been working with the Royal Scots Museum to piece together his family's extensive military heritage.
Continuing a Family Tradition
Mr Gould's own military journey began unexpectedly in 1996 when, aged 21 and training to become a baker, he spotted a recruitment office in Glasgow. "I told my friend to stop the car, and I just ran in," he recalled. "I just wanted to do something completely different at the weekends, and 29 years later I'm still doing it."
He has since deployed on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and now serves as 6 SCOTS ReMSO (regimental mentoring support officer), handling recruitment, mentoring and community engagement across the battalion.
Reflecting on his grandfather's post-war life as a hairdresser with three barber shops in Portobello who remained an Army reservist, Mr Gould observed: "I like to think he took some of that Army precision with him, the discipline, the care, the attention to detail."
The experience of visiting his grandfather's battlefield has given Mr Gould a profound sense of continuity. "It's quite something to see that picture now and realise I've stood in the same place. There's something really special about that continuity," he said. "History is part of who we are. You can't understand what we do now without understanding what they did then – and to carry that legacy forward means a lot."
