A final salute to Her Majesty as Army reservist veteran pays his own touching tribute to Queen Elizabeth

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A Renfrewshire man who was at the Queen’s Coronation and went on to meet her twice is “deeply saddened” by her passing.James Gallacher MBE, better known as Jim, was just 14 when he witnessed the Queen’s coronation celebration outside Buckingham Palace.Jim who spent 58 years as an army cadet and army reservist was one of a lucky few from Paisley who saw the moment in real life.Inspired by the Queen’s dedication, he went on to be awarded her Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.Yesterday, the 83 year old paid tribute to a lady who for almost 60 years was his Colonel in Chief.Don't miss the latest headlines from around Renfrewshire.

Sign up to our newsletters here.Jim told the Express: “I was greatly saddened to learn of Her Majesty’s passing.

She was a wonderful, inspiring lady who I was very privileged to meet on two occasions with my wife Irene - once at Redford Barracks in Edinburgh and at Stirling Castle.“She will be a great loss in many respects and her loss will be deeply felt by the Royal Regiment of Scotland for whom the Queen was Colonel in Chief.”Jim, who grew up in Ferguslie Park, was part of the cadets based in the Territorial Army Drill Hall in Paisley’s High Street and was one of five selected to represent the area at the 1952 coronation.It was a position he went on to relish, spending 58 years in the TA as part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.Rising to the rank of Honorary Colonel with the West Lowland Battalion, he was awarded an MBE in 2005 for his service and work for the Army Cadets.It was through his work with the army that Jim met the Queen, having also met Princess Margaret and Princess Ann at various events.Jim and his wife Irene met the Queen most recently in 2007 when she travelled to