A MILLPORT woman has told how her grandfather was a pivotal figure in the liberation of Guernsey at the end of the Second World War.

Sergeant Major Robert Shaw was the father of former News correspondent Mary Currie and is well remembered on the Isle of Cumbrae after moving there in the 1960s to spend his semi-retirement.

Mary's dad was the first British soldier to land on Guernsey's soil after the liberation of the island from German occupation on 9 May 1945.

Robert was part of the Task Force 135 and had travelled from Plymouth overnight to the island in an American Landing Station with other serving soldiers.

His ship came into L’Ancresse Bay and he was the first to disembark, riding off on a motorcycle followed by a number of armoured vehicles.

The first person he met was a local boy called John Rault, who was cycling on the right hand side of the road.

Robert stopped the little boy and told him to 'cycle on the British side of the road which was the left hand side' as he was worried the little boy would be knocked over by the other vehicles behind him.

And some 47 years later in 1992, Robert visited Guernsey again to receive commemorative Liberation medallions with a number of other war veterans.

After the local newspaper printed his story, the very same little boy, now an adult, Mr Rault read about the event in the local paper and contacted Robert at the hotel he was staying in. The two met up, reconnected and and stayed in touch until Mr Shaw passed away in 2005, aged 89.

While Robert's REME were in Guernsey they used a local garage called ‘Ash’s Garage’ for the repair of vehicles. He himself was a trained motor mechanic and said in 1992 “The British officers were anxious to get use of German cars while stationed on the island”.

Robert was interested to see how vehicles had been converted to charcoal burning units to overcome the shortage of petrol. During his post-war stay, he worked with German troops who were needed to help in the garage.

Robert went on to marry an English wartime nurse called Esme Collinson and they started a family and move north. He loved his close connection to Millport and lived there for 45 years.

Eleven members of Mr Shaw’s family were set to travel from Glasgow, Perth, the Isle of Cumbrae, Aberdeen, London and Windsor to meet up in Guernsey on 8 May to take part in the 75th anniversary VE Day celebrations in his memory. However as the event was cancelled, they plan to visit next year instead.

Mary said: "My parents ran the local laundrette until my father was 70, when we persuaded him to retire. He was an absolute character and had a great love for sailing.

"Robert passed away in 2005, and Esme passed away just six months after my dad.

"My dad loved Millport."